Icebreaker
by dooderu
Summary: Can the world's strongest hero break the walls of the world's most stubborn esper?
1. Prologue: Closed-door Conversation

**A/N: Hello! This is my first ever OnePunch-Man fanfiction~ After reading the latest chatper of the webcomic (ONE's version), I couldn't help but add my piece to continue the story because (the updates are kinda slow) I suddenly shipped Tatsumaki and Saitama XD Man, I didn't imagine that I would ship them, I swear. Hahahaha~**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoy this one!**

* * *

With a plastic bag in his left hand, Saitama knocked on an apartment door casually, not fully realizing the presence of the doorbell. After hearing a high-pitched voice mumble something, a soft thud and some ruffling sound, he figured that he might've disturbed the apartment's owner, and he was now having second thoughts about his small visit. Man, he really does need to think things through.

 **.Two hours ago.**

Saitama lied flat on his futon in his new apartment in the Heroes Association HQ. It wasn't too big nor too small. Just like his previous, destroyed to bits and pieces apartment, this fit him just right. Although one thing was still bothering his mind.

"Bla." he muttered. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

He rolled on his side and turned on his television. His new T.V wasn't much, but he can deal with it. Better than having nothing, he thought. As he browsed channel after channel with his remote, he realized that he cannot sit still at all. He has to visit the arrogant midget.

Turning his television off, he put on his usual hoodie and cargo shorts before grabbing his wallet and putting his shoes on.

He was probably going to regret this.

 **.Now.**

Yep, he really is going to regret this. As he was about to turn his heel and leave, a displeased voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Who the hell is it." Senritsu no Tatsumaki, rather than asking, demanded for an answer.

'Ah crap. There's no backing out now.' Saitama thought as he cleared his throat to answer the green-haired esper's question. "It's me, Saitama."

There was an awful bit of silence that even he, himself couldn't stand so he decided to relieve some recent memories.

"You know, the man that you buried deep down the earth last… uh… from two days ago." Saitama said once more, only to hear an annoyed clicking of the tongue of a certain midget.

"I know, Caped Baldy. State your business." she replied, as stingy as ever. He admits, that every time he hears his hero name, a part of him simply wants to smash the nearest wall. But since this is Tatsumaki he was conversing with, he's letting this one slide.

"I came to drop you off a 'get-well-soon-gift'- uh hey… aren't you going to open your door?" Saitama said as he scratched the back of his head.

"I'd rather not. The last thing I want to see is your bald head." Once again, Tatsumaki fired on her set of insults towards the bald young man. Holding his temper in, Saitama decided to be the mature one between the two of them.

"Alright, fine. I'll just leave this on your door handle and I'll be on my way." he said. It was better to leave now rather than get into another fight with the S-class brat. He knew how that would end anyway. And he's not too keen in having more buildings destroyed. With a sigh, he was about to place the plastic bag on the door handle, but his attention was caught when the world's powerful esper spoke.

"Wait—"

Saitama stood in front of her door, waiting for what Tatsumaki was about to say next.

"What did you bring me?" she asked. Finding himself somehow dumbfounded, he willingly answered.

"Bananas."

"What? Bananas?"

"Yeah, it's healthy and it's cheap. A real good 'get-well-soon' gift." Saitama answered, his voice as deadpanned as his eyes. Tatsumaki resisted the urge to slap her palm on her forehead. This guy is the definition of thrifty.

"It's the thought that counts, I guess." Tatsumaki muttered. Saitama smiled a little, realizing that probably, just probably, the shit-faced brat may not be that bratty at all. And she's still not going to open her apartment's door. It doesn't matter, Saitama thought as he sat down on floor, his back facing the door as he leaned to rest.

"Say, about the reason for you being a hero or something… the 'stress reliever' was just a lie, right?" he asked nonchalantly. He heard Tatsumaki react, only confirming that he was right.

"Who the hell are you to say that-"

"You were about to say something, and you paused. Then, you decided not to tell me." Saitama went on. He was not the type of person to meddle with someone else's business, but somehow he got curious on what she was about to say. Maybe, if he gets her to open up, he might even be acquaintances with her. She could really be useful in grocery shopping, especially on bargain days. Nah, scratch that. Even if they were friends, there was no way in hell he could convince Tatsumaki to go grocery shopping. The only thing he can gain from this is if he understands her past, then maybe he could understand that arrogant attitude of hers.

"You didn't let me finish, A-class. I said, who the hell are you to tell me that what I said was a lie?! You don't even know a thing about me!" Tatsumaki's voice was higher than usual.

'Shit,' Saitama thought. 'I must've hit a delicate spot.'

He was more than ready to retreat the battle, but Tatsumaki's words were far too loud for him to say anything.

"Who am I kidding? You, an A-class nobody could never know what an S-class like me feels like."

He takes it back. This runt is the epitome of bratty after all. After hearing those words, Saitama decided that he has to counter something.

"What is up with you and ranks anyway? I kick monsters' asses, you kick monsters' asses. I save lives, you save lives. What's the difference? Power? Don't give me that, Tatsumaki, because being a hero doesn't need ranks as long as you can contribute for the greater good. That's why it's just a hobby for me!" Saitama said, now he was standing up and was facing the door. On the other side, Tatsumaki was floating off the ground, her green orbs glowing.

Realization has hit her.

"…him."

Still a bit enraged from Tatsumaki's throw of insults, he didn't quite hear what she just said.

"What was that?"

"You are exactly like him." the small esper said quietly, a tad different from her usual, frilly voice. Saitama calmed down a little as confusion even hit him more.

"Who?"

"Blast."

Saitama produced a small 'huh' before calming himself down and prepared himself to listen as he faced the door.

"Go on." he mumbled, eager to listen. Inside her apartment, Tatsumaki was taken aback. There is no way ever in hell she would tell her very sole reason in becoming a hero. Not to this A-class nobody. Not to this smug jerk that made her feel look like a B-class hero.

"Go back to your apartment, A-class asshole! Who do you think you are anyway?! Just fuck off!" Tatsumaki said before floating back in to her room. Saitama, who was finally feeling his last piece of patience fall off, simply left the corridor and walk back to his own, humble home.

"Arrogant, shit-faced brat. Damn, I really should've just stayed at home." he mumbled, the plastic bag containing the bananas still on his left hand. As he was about to go down the stairs, Jigoku no Fubuki coincidently was about to go up the stairs.

"Saitama…? What are you doing here?" Fubuki asked, a bit surprised that he was in the S-class apartment area. Saitama scratched his head awkwardly as he gave an answer.

"Uh… well, you see… I was going to give these bananas to your sister, but she didn't want them." he said sheepishly. Fubuki was still a bit surprised at Saitama's appearance in her sister's flat.

"I see. I suppose your visit didn't go as planned?"

"You betcha. She fired at me her usual string of insults. And we got into this argument about her being a hero and all. It wasn't a pretty scene, if you ask me." Saitama replied, a bit exhausted with his exchange of banter with Tatsumaki.

"Well, I'm visiting her too. I'll just pass her the bananas, if you want." the raven-haired esper offered. Somehow lightening up, Saitama handed over the plastic bag. He was kinda glad that the bananas wouldn't go to waste.

"Gee, thanks Fubuki. Tell her to lighten up." he said as Fubuki gave him a smile.

"It may not seem like it, but Onee-san is a very thoughtful person. To me, at least. I understand her intentions and she's only protective of me because she thinks I'm still weak. It's not the ideal love a sister should have, but I suppose it's better than not having at all." she quietly explains to Saitama, who in turn was half-listening and half-pondering on what to have for lunch today. There are still leftover tofu and some carrots and cabbages, so he could probably make stir-fried vegetables. King might come over too, so he would probably have to double the servings and-

"Saitama?" Fubuki's voice made his train of thought shatter in an instant.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks again. See ya." he muttered and waved his hand at her. Fubuki waved back and muttered a farewell.

* * *

Tatsumaki lied down her bed, her knees close to her chest and her arms wrapped around her knees. The past few days were quite troublesome, and a lingering thought was playing around her mind.

"I'm still weak." she muttered.

"Not yet strong enough to protect Fubuki." again, her thoughts jumbled.

For the first time in a very long time, she felt absolutely weak. When her brain was fiddled with by Psykos, and when Garou defeated her in an instant. She was caught off guard twice, and Fubuki was left out in the open.

She failed to protect her sister.

Fortunately for her, Fubuki was getting stronger. It's just her stupid group that made her weak. Her so-called "friends". Her relationship with people made her weak. That is why human relations are nothing but a hindrance.

Who needs other people when you've got yourself to protect you, right?

* * *

 **Yo! Glad you could make it here! Now you may be wondering, 'why the angst?'**

 **First of all, this is a prologue. It's a mere intro for the story~ And I assure you the angst would be low-key from here then on. After reading about Tatsumaki's past, I just can't help but feel for her. She was mentally scarred for life, and a lot may say that that alone can't justify her actions but think about it. Her over-protectiveness with Fubuki? This just shows her immense love for her sister. Yeah, sure it's kinda in a yandere kind of way, but who could blame her? Tatsumaki was basically programmed to believe that no one could be trusted. Well maybe except for Blast, but other than him, absolutely no one.**

 **So please, stop the hate on Tats, guys. Put yourself in her shoes, aryt?**

 **Would probably update in a week or two :D**


	2. Chapter 1: A Break

**A/N: Hey guys~**

 **First off, I wanted to thank all of you guys who reviewed, followed and favorite my story! It was quite a shock to me, but nonetheless, it made me feel ecstatic~ Especially to all your kind reviews! It really inspired me to write more!**

 **This chapter is a bit longer so that it could balance with the short prologue. And Tats might be a little OOC here. And the story might not even follow ONE-sensei's plotline but hey, that's why it's called a fanfiction, right? ;)**

 **Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Tatsumaki hovered above Sitch and glared at the poor man as if he just called her the most insulting word you could say to her. On the other hand, the blond man could only stare back at the young esper in distress. There is no doubt that this woman would get her way, no matter what. But of course he can't put down without a few good reasoning.

"You've only been resting for two days, Tatsumaki-san. You even have bandages on your wounds. I am sure that indicates that your wounds haven't-"

"Shut up, old man! Are you saying I'm not capable of fighting those low-life monsters?! Is that what you're trying to say!? Just because I failed to defeat that asshole Garou?!" her high-pitched voice, that indicated that she is not to be argued with, filled the whole room. Everyone knew that their boss has no choice this time. Sitch was still bothered by the fact that Tatsumaki called him an 'old man'. He's pretty much sure he's middle aged.

"O-of course not. You are the Association's most powerful esper, Tatsumaki-san. Garou was possibly a God-level disaster threat and you alone cannot defeat him. Besides, you already wiped out the whole Monsters Association before facing him, right?" Sitch reasoned, slightly hoping it would calm the petite green-haired esper. Instead of actually yelling and getting even more agitated, Tatsumaki crossed her arms and stared down.

"No." she muttered, remembering how Psykos and Golden Sperm gave her a hard time. It was absolutely difficult and painful to admit, but she knows that she couldn't have defeated all of the Dragon-level disaster threat alone. "I didn't wiped them all out."

Sitch was a bit surprised at the sudden change of her voice. It sounded serious that it made him realize that the battle with the Monsters Association was no laughing matter. Clearing his throat, he decided to persuade this young woman to take another day-off though he fully knows that she won't agree and would probably still go on and fight monsters.

"So you'll take the day off?" he asked, only to receive another menacing glare from Tatsumaki.

"I never agreed to that." she replied.

Before Sitch could say anything, one of the employees in charge of watching over the cities called out to their boss.

"Sir Sitch! We've been able to detect 6 monsters in different cities!" a dark-haired woman who was facing a computer screen alerted the whole room.

"What are the levels?" Sitch asked, turning his full attention at the screen below.

"Two tiger-level disaster threats and four demon-level disaster threats, sir!"

"Alert the nearest heroes this-"

"What are the locations?" Tatsumaki's shrill voice overpowered Sitch's. The employee was having a bit of a dilemma on whether or not she should tell the esper the locations, basing from Tatsumaki's conversation with their boss.

"Uh… um… cities-"

"Tatsumaki-san, those are 6 monsters we are talking about! Four of which are demon-level! With your wounds, you cannot face them by your-"

Sitch's voice halted when he realized most of the empty chairs inside the room were floating. Indeed, he has angered Senritsu no Tatsumaki.

"Do I need to repeat myself? What are the locations?" she muttered threateningly, making Sitch give up as he signaled the employee to give Tatsumaki the specific locations of the spotted monsters. In a mere second, she dropped the chairs and crossed her arms as she listened to the monsters' whereabouts. The employee was a bit unsure, but she looked back on the computer screen and sited the cities.

"One tiger-level at City C, two demon-level at City J, one tiger-level at City M, one demon-level at City W and one demon-level at City Y, sir!"

Before Sitch could even react at the mentioned cities, Tatsumaki instantly flew away from the Head Quarters. Sitch could only massage his temples, somehow relieved that the agitated esper has left but he was also partly worried about the young woman. She was obviously pushing her limits, and it was probably to amend what happened with Garou and the Monsters Association.

* * *

"Your repairs took a while huh, Genos?" Saitama said as he lied on his side of his futon wearing a tank top and shorts. He's watching commercials as he waited for his chosen program to go on air. The cyborg, who was keenly reading his notes by the table nodded at his teacher's question.

"Yes, sensei. The damage those dragon-level monsters did were incomparable to any damage I have ever taken. It's a good thing Doctor Kuseno's skills are top-notch that he was able to give the necessary repairs that I needed in an instant." Genos replied, not a detail to be wasted. As he picked his nose, Saitama realized how strong those monsters were at that time. Even Genos, who was a fairly strong S-class hero was subdued in an instant. No wonder the arrogant midget looked dead-tired.

Speaking of the arrogant midget, Saitama wondered if Tatsumaki consumed the bananas. He didn't really care what she'd do with it, but if the small esper would just throw it away, then it was a waste of money on his part. Throwing away of perfectly good, consumable food should be considered evil. As his thoughts went on, his growing curiosity about 'Bla' crept up again on him. He crossed his eyebrows and thought of the possible words that would continue the three-letter bla that made Tatsumaki a hero.

"Bla… blaaaaah?" Saitama wondered. "Bla… black? Bland? Blabber? Blaaaaaaa-"

"Sensei?"

Saitama's train of thought was interrupted when he heard Genos' voice.

"A-ah, yeah?"

"You seem to be widening your vocabulary with words that start with 'bla'. Would you like my assistance? It seems you're having a hard time thinking of words." the young cyborg replied, as blunt and straightforward as ever, making Saitama slightly taken aback.

"Yeah, kinda. It would be cool to know more words-"

"Blab! Blabber! Blackmail! Blacksmith! Blacktop! Bladder! Blade! Blam! Blame! Blanch! Blank! Blanquette! Blare! Blasé! Blasphemy! Blast! Blastomycosis! Blatant-"

"Wait, stop right there, Genos. Say the word after blatant."

"Blastomycosis? Are you interested in fungal infections-"

"No, no. Before that."

"Blast?"

Saitama paused, realizing how the pieces might fit just right. The midget did mention Blast when he visited her. And she suddenly got cranky. So it must be—

"Bla… Blast! The hero! She became a hero because of Blast! I wonder why, though." Saitama concluded, slightly feeling thrilled. Genos seemed a bit confused at what his teacher just said.

"Do you have any concerns with S-class rank 1, Blast, sensei?" the blond cyborg asked, a bit curios at what Saitama was thinking. On the other hand, the latter was sitting upright now.

"Nah. I just had something to get off my mind." he replied as Genos nodded at his answer, though he wasn't completely convinced with Saitama's reply. It was probably best to leave such matters unknown. His teacher might know something that he himself cannot fully understand yet.

"I just remembered, sensei. Senritsu no Tatsumaki declared a battle with you two days ago, am I correct?" Genos asked. He was slightly curious on how Saitama handled the stubborn esper.

"She didn't exactly declared a battle with me. It was more like she was trying to teach me a lesson." he replied nonchalantly. A bit surprised, Genos had more questions to ask.

"She did? Did she gave you a hard time, sensei?" the cyborg asked seriously, feeling a bit enraged at the petite esper. Who the hell dares to teach Saitama-sensei, the strongest man alive, a lesson?

Saitama recalled what happened two days ago. In the middle of her attacks, her head suddenly bled the hell out. It seemed like her injuries weren't even mended to. But she brushed it off as if it were mere scratches when in reality, it was obviously affecting her powers.

"Actually she looked like she was having a hard time. But it was probably because of her injuries."

Genos nodded. He remembered what happened with Tatsumaki during her fight with Psykos. Anyone who was thrown just about anywhere with psychic abilities would probably have serious injuries. Well, maybe except for his teacher. It was also no question; even if Tatsumaki was in top shape, there was no way she could defeat Saitama, he analyzed.

"Ah right, I have to go grocery shopping. There's a good sale at the supermarket by City Y." the bald hero said as he got up and put on his hero outfit. You never know when a monster suddenly pops out of nowhere.

"I'll accompany you, sensei! I may not yet be fully capable of your errands, but this time, I assure you-"

"Yeah sure, I figured you'd say that." Saitama said before Genos got into one of his unnecessary speeches. He has told him a lot of times to reduce it to 20 words or less, but the cyborg somehow manages to prolong his sentences.

* * *

Genos strolled along the grocery store amidst the customers and casually grabbed some radish, cabbages and eggplants that were on a sale. There weren't much people today, so it was much easier to select top quality vegetables. Though he still analyzed most of it just to be sure. After getting the right amount of vegetables that were listed on the shopping list, the blond cyborg decided to regroup with his teacher. He noticed Saitama by a corner, seriously pondering about something.

"Sensei, I have gathered—" Genos halted when he saw how Saitama was intently staring at the boxes of kelp that were on an 80 percent discounted sale.

'It's sensei's favorite.' he thought as he stared at the kelp. Accidentally though, his eyes moved up to Saitama's bright and shining scalp and somehow, realization has hit Genos.

'Sensei really does mind about his… head.' Genos thought, feeling a string of pity for his bald sensei. He knew his teacher wasn't to blame though. He worked hard to be the hero he is now and that ultimate sacrifice was… his hair. 'Maybe I really should schedule a hair transplant for sensei.'

Noticing a presence staring at him, Saitama turned to where Genos was.

"Ah, Genos. So you're finished— hey, are you looking at my head?!" Saitama said, a bit pissed. Automatically, Genos had his usual response.

"I wasn't, sensei. I was looking at the sign above you. The sale for the kelp would be ending in 2 mintues and counting."

As what the cyborg said, Saitama stared above him, proving Genos' point.

"Ah crap! It is! Damn, I should just grab a box, right? A sale like this doesn't come every day! Come on Genos, let's go to the counter!" Saitama said as he grabbed a box and ran for the cashier while Genos followed and kept with his teacher's pace. They dodged customer after customer and went through aisles. Using his cyborg eyes, Genos calculated the distance between him and a nearby customer who was two feet away from paying at a counter.

"Sensei-!" he alerted Saitama, who in turn doubled his speed. In a blink of an eye, Saitama was in front of the cash register now. With a relieved sigh, Genos followed after.

"Maaaaaan. We've still got a minute to spare. Thanks Genos." Saitama said as he paid for his box of kelp. Genos couldn't help but stare at the small box containing the food that his teacher always wanted.

"It wasn't a problem." he replied.

After their payment, the two heroes exited the supermarket at ease with Saitama feeling in total contentment. Today was a good bargain, he thought as he pondered on what to have for dinner with the ingredients he just bought. As he was in the middle of creating recipes, Genos' stern voice broke his train of thought.

"Sensei- I sense a demon-level disaster monster at—" before Genos could finish his sentence, screams from civilians and debris crashing can be heard from a distance. In an instant, both Saitama and Genos turned to where the noise came from. In that direction, an insect-like creature emerged that was as big a 13-storey building. It looked like a giant humanoid cockroach from Saitama's perspective.

"I am Kyodaina Gokiburi! A homeless man turned into the hatred and wrath of the pests known as-"

The monster's introduction was cut short when a debris was smashed over it. The power of psychokinesis was familiar, and it was a certain S-class, no doubt.

"For a pest, you sure talk too much. Oh well, I'm about to crush you anyway." Tatsumaki said as she manipulated the monster's motor movements. On the other hand, Saitama spotted a young girl near a ruined building with debris about to fall off over her. Without a moment to waste, he handed over his groceries to Genos and swiftly came to girl's side and carrying her to where the cyborg was.

"Sensei, shall I look for more civilians?" Genos asked as he was about to put down the bought items.

"Uh… for now, please keep an eye on the groceries and the kid." Saitama muttered as he looked for more civilians stuck in the rubble. Genos nodded in agreement as he carried the young girl to a much safer place.

"Tatsumaki could probably handle this on her own." Saitama muttered as he looked up, only to notice that the petite esper was slightly shaking and the bandages on her head were gradually being stained with blood. He then placed his gaze at the monster insect, who was slowly gaining its motor movements back.

Tatsumaki clicked her tongue in annoyance. The previous demon-level monster she defeated in City W took her a while. She must've almost all of her powers now. Despite feeling a bit weary, she placed all her mind power in the monster in front of her, slowly trying to crush its whole, gigantic body with her psychokinesis. This could take a while, considering her present health state but since she was in front of an audience, she decided to end the being in a fast, grueling manner. By adding more force in her concentration, the monster's motor movements were again subdued. Seeing an opportunity to end the being, she doubled her power, only to completely lose focus in the monster in front of her. Her injuries on her head were starting to bleed again despite the bandages that covered it. She needs to land, she thought as she placed a hand on her mouth, feeling a bit nauseated.

"Ugh… goddammit… not here…" she muttered as she wasn't able to take control of her body, her small figure falling down. She continued to concentrate on flying, when she felt two arms grab her falling body. Her vision was blurry, but she first saw a cape.

"B-Blast…?" she muttered unconsciously. As she looked up, she was bit shocked to see no hair on the hero's head. 'Since when… did Blast… go bald?' she thought, not fully realizing that the one who caught her was-

"Caped Baldy-?!" her shrill voice echoed through Saitama's head. Hearing his hero name kinda annoyed him a little. Tatsumaki tried to levitate off the other man's hold but she was too drained to do so. Instead, she could only grunt in annoyance.

"Oi. You're pushing yourself too hard again." Saitama said as he landed neatly on the ground. Genos ran towards his teacher, who has already secured the groceries and the girl in a safe place.

"Sensei, is that another child— ah. Senritsu no Tatsumaki? Was she injured?" the cyborg asked.

"Not really. Looks like she strained herself to exhaustion." the other young hero replied. "Take her for a bit, Genos. I'm going to finish off that monster."

Before Genos could respond, Saitama placed Tatsumaki in the young cyborg's arms, much to her annoyance. He jumped up towards the humanoid cockroach and punched it to its ultimate demise. Bits and pieces of the said monster scattered all over the vicinity.

"Ah, what a mess." Saitama muttered as he landed back on the ground, then jogging back to where Genos was. In the cyborg's arms, a squirming esper was muttering curse words, though both didn't know for whom the insults were.

"How dare… you touch me… you no good…" Tatsumaki mumbled as she tried to get off Genos. With a displeased façade, he turned his stare at his teacher.

"Do I set her down, sensei?"

"Yeah, she could probably still damage you."

Genos did as what he was told and let the green-haired esper stand on her own. She patted off dust from her dress and pointed a finger at Saitama. This time, he prepared himself for the endless stingy words that's about to come out of her mouth.

"Oi, you smug egghead! Don't you ever meddle in one of my battles! How dare you steal my opponent! Were you trying to show-off again?! And right in front of a crowd! You really are an arrogant asshole, aren't you?! I swear, one of these days, I'll show you who's—" Tatsumaki stopped her yapping when she felt nauseous once more. She could also feel the sudden flow of her blood on her head. Saitama, who was half-listening and half-daydreaming was suddenly alerted.

"Hey… you're going to kill yourself like that, you know. Stop pushing yourself." he said, his voice sound oddly firm.

"Shut up! Who are you to tell me that, anyway?! I know my limits- ugh. Idiot." she stuttered, as she felt that she was nearing to collapse.

"It's no use, sensei. Tatsumaki is too stubborn. If she wishes, we should just leave her be." Genos said. Though his patience was no match with Saitama's, he knows how persistent and arrogant the S-rank could be.

"Genos, whether or not a person is the most stubborn or the most annoying one there is, if you could see that he or she seriously needs help you should do your best to help them. Even if they don't want it. Otherwise, what's your purpose in being a hero, right? A life is still a life." Saitama said as he walked towards the weakened Tatsumaki and picked her up in his arms. The young esper wanted to fight her way off him, but she found herself drained and almost unable to move. She could only muster a few insults at him.

Genos stared at his teacher in awe. Indeed, Saitama-sensei was the most righteous hero there is. He grabbed his notebook and pen from his pocket and started writing what Saitama just said, and also doing a quick sketch on how his teacher has carried Tatsumaki in his arms.

"You're absolutely right, sensei. I am sorry. Yet again, my pride got ahead of myself." Genos said sincerely, only to receive a deadpanned response from Saitama.

"Uh… yeah sure. Good job." his teacher replied.

"Anyway, you can take the groceries back at my apartment and I'll take this kid to the hospital." Saitama said as Genos nodded and took off while Tatsumaki jabbed him in his chest with her elbow. It didn't affect him at all, but he realized that she was still conscious.

"You… are not… taking me anywhere… A-class jerk." the small figure in his arms muttered, though it was ignored.

"If you wanted to protect Fubuki, straining yourself too hard isn't the way." he said as he started walking his way to the hospital.

"Ugh… you don't have… the right to tell me… how to protect... my sister."

"I know. It was just a suggestion."

Tatsumaki was way too exhausted to argue as she let out a tired sigh. Because of her damn pride, she let her guard down once more. She let other people save her once more.

 _When the time comes, don't go expecting someone to come save you_.

The words rang in her head constantly, and that's what she was living with for as long as she was a hero. Tatsumaki is pretty sure she's a disappointment to Blast now.

* * *

 **Aaaaaaaaaaaand the chapter ends. Now that I've seen it on the site, it's actually pretty short. Huh.**

 **Anyway, next chapter might be a bit angst-y since our tiny little esper _might_ open up a bit. We'll see, right?**

 **See you~**


	3. Chapter 2: Peace Through Nabe

**A/N: Wassup dudes!**

 **Again, endless thank yous to your encouraging reviews m8s! I don't really beg for reviews, but they absolutely help me write better ^^ Aaaaaand if you check the reviews, you could see one from me. Me reviewing my own story. Weeeeird. Well I did it around the time when the reviews section suddenly stopped appearing on new stories. I got a bit paranoid, so I reviewed my own story just to check *nervous laughing***

 **Anywaaaaaaaays, I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)**

* * *

"Oh, so her wounds just reopened. Nothing serious?" Saitama asked, who stood outside a hospital room, talking to a male doctor who just came out of the said room. The doctor was writing something on his pad as he answered the hero's question.

"That's right, sir. Though I must say, her vitals show that she is indeed exhausted and I would require for her to take a rest for at least a whole week." the doctor said as Saitama scratched his head.

"Okay. But shouldn't you be telling her that?"

"I did. But Tatsumaki-san only yelled at me, telling me that she doesn't need to rest. Maybe someone, an acquaintance perhaps, could advise it to her? How about, you sir?" the man suggested, though Saitama wasn't really too eager in giving the green-haired esper any health advice since, well, she hates him.

"I'll do my best doc." he replied. Fubuki could suggest the advice to her sister herself, but he doesn't really know the dark-haired woman's whereabouts. The doctor smiled and gave him a nod before excusing himself and walking in on another room. Saitama heaved a huge sigh, wondering how in the hell he got himself in to this situation. For all he knows, he just went out for grocery shopping. It wasn't on his list to watch over an enraged and injured midget. Nonetheless, he entered her room in great reluctance.

"Um… how's your wounds?" he asked awkwardly. Much to his surprise the hospital room given to Tatsumaki was quite huge. It seemed like a room for VIPs. Oddly silent, the esper was motioning her index finger as the channels on the television changed with a wave of her finger.

"Man, this room is bigger than my apartment." he muttered.

"S-class heroes always get privileges anywhere, even health insurances." Tatsumaki answered. Saitama was a bit relieved that she wasn't in the mood to yell at him.

"Why are you still here? You brought me to the hospital already, so what the hell is your business with me?" Tatsumaki's shrill voice surrounded the whole room. He totally takes back what he thought seconds ago.

' _The brat looks absolutely fine to me._ ' Saitama thought gingerly as he walked a few more steps closer on the edge of her bed.

"You should really follow the doctor's advice. You can't go on fighting monsters and killing yourself in the process." he said, not really anticipating a positive response from the esper. And just as he predicted, Tatsumaki only scoffed.

"Are you saying that I'm weak? A few wounds couldn't affect my powers, you ignorant A-class jerk!" she rebutted, her arms crossed against her chest as she glared up at him. Saitama could only hold his anger in. He can't argue with her right now. She's right, he brought her to the hospital and it's time to part ways. There's no point in staying anyway.

"Fine, fine. It's your life anyway."

"Exactly."

"Get well soon, I guess."

"Hmph."

And with that, Saitama turned on his heel and walked towards the door and leave. He has to cook dinner, and it's getting late. As he exited, the caped hero was a bit surprised to see Bang walking towards Tatsumaki's hospital room. Slightly curious, he decided to ask the old hero on his visit.

"Oh hey, man. What brings you here?" Saitama asked.

"It's nice to see you again, Saitama. The Association sent me, actually." Bang replied as he glanced at the room Saitama just went out of.

"How is she?"

"Pretty much alive. And active, with a few insults to spare."

"That is quite typical of her."

Saitama nodded and then realized something. He remembered when Bang told Tatsumaki to lay off (Bang really didn't tell her to lay off, he just reminded her that she's a respectable hero) and she actually listened.

"Hey since you're here, why not advise her to chill a bit? You know, take a week off or something." he said, hoping that it would work.

"Ah, speaking of week offs, the Association sent me specifically to ask for your help." Bang replied, slightly off-topic. His attention fully caught, Saitama felt a bit of excitement upon hearing what the martial artist just said. The Heroes' Association asking for his help and sending Bang to tell it to him? Must be pretty important, right?

"Oh? What kind of help? Beating up monsters and bad guys?" he asked, his mood lightening up.

"Eh, not exactly. They asked me to ask you to watch over Tatsumaki during her break. As they saw the footage of you helping her in battle at City Y, they realized that you are the only hero capable of the job. They are willing to cover your expenses for a week as well." As Bang talked, Saitama felt all his soul depart from his body. There is absolutely no way in hell he would be the brat's babysitter. No way no how. Not even money could make him do it.

"The offer looks good, but I'll pass." he said with a wave of his hand.

"Ah I just remembered. A friend of mine from the Hyogo Prefecture sent me some Kobe beef from the finest Wagyu cattle in all of Japan. I have a lot to spare, and I don't mind giving some extra quality ingredients to you."

"Really? That's nice-"

"I just have a favor to ask of you, Saitama. Could you watch over Senritsu no Tatsumaki during-"

"Oh, is this a whole week we're talking about? That's just seven days! Haha! I'll just make sure she doesn't go out of her apartment, right?" Saitama replied, an instant change of his answer to the Association's offer. With a smile, Bang nodded. Now all he has to do is to order Charanko to buy a week's supply of Wagyu beef in Kobe.

* * *

To not use her psychokinesis to a maximum extent was necessary for her to regain strength. That also meant she can't fly over a long period of time. And since City Y is miles away from City A, the Association has hired Tatsumaki a service to transport her to her Apartment. Much to her annoyance, she agreed. There's no use in acting all strong now. She has to rest if she wants to recover immediately. As her service reached her apartment, she got out of the car and was escorted by some men. She glared at them, but they followed after her nonetheless.

"I'm not a kid. I can reach my apartment without encountering any monsters." Tatsumaki muttered, her hands glowing green. The two men felt chills down their spine as they nodded and went back to the car. She sighed and walked towards her apartment. As she was near her door, she was surprised to see a figure sitting in front of her apartment with their back against the wall. A bit confused, she cautiously walked with all her senses up to the maximum. The shadow, who somehow heard her footsteps, turned their head towards her direction. A bit surprised, she raised her finger to throw the stranger away, her hands glowing with power. Much to her surprise, the figure was too heavy to be levitated. And in her condition, she can't use her maximum power.

' _Who the hell? There was only person who gave me a hard time levitating—_ '

"Ah, hey, welcome back." a dreaded, familiar voice came from the stranger. And it wasn't just anyone.

"Oh goddamn stubborn jerk." Tatsumaki muttered shakily under her breath.

"The Association sent me-"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE, BALDY?! ARE YOU STALKING ME?! RECONING ME?! DO YOU LIKE ME OR SOMETHING?!" the green-haired esper screamed at Saitama who, somehow, anticipated this to happen.

"Um… no. As I was trying to tell you, the Association sent me to-"

As Saitama talked, Tatsumaki entered her home and closed her door shut, not even inviting the bald hero in. Feeling a vein pop on his temple, he knocked on the door brashly.

"Oi you midget! Listen when people are talking to you! It's called being fucking polite!"

"Did you just call me a midget you bald moron?! How dare you! I'm older than you!"

"I DON'T FUCKING CARE! I'M NOT LEAVING UNTIL YOU LET ME IN!"

"WHAT THE HELL! HOW MUCH DID THE ASSOCIATION PAY YOU?!"

"THEY DIDN'T PAY ME WHO DO YOU THINK I AM?!"

Tatsumaki froze upon hearing what Saitama just said. The Heroes' Association sent him, but he was willing to do it? Despite how much she was pushing the egghead idiot away? What the hell is his objective?

"What do you want from me? Why are doing this? What's your motive?" the small esper asked. On the other side of the door, Saitama scratched his head. She had way too many questions and it's giving him a headache. Why did he bother to accept Bang's favor? Well, besides the beef, why? He visited her this morning in the first place because he was curious why she decided to become a hero. That's it.

"Uh, to sum it all up, I just want to know why you became a hero." he replied in his usual deadpanned voice.

"I already told you. It's just my stress reliever." she replied.

"But there's more to it, right?"

Tatsumaki clenched her fists. Who is he to tell her that?

"Does it have something to do with Blast?" Saitama contemplated whether or not to say it. But he did anyway. And there was no backing out now. His cape fluttered when the door opened abruptly, revealing a floating Tatsumaki who was glowing in green.

"It's none of your business." she muttered menacingly. Turning a bit serious, Saitama held Tatsumaki's wrists using both his hands and pulled her down so that her feet would touch the floor. Because of the shock, her powers instantly shut off.

"The doctor said you can't use your powers. Not in your whole break." Saitama said as he glared down at the esper. Tatsumaki noticed that he was indeed serious this time, and it was evident in his façade. Instead of arguing with him, she pulled her wrists away from his hold and crossed her arms.

"Because it's under the Association's orders, fine." she muttered. Turning back into his usual self, Saitama was a bit surprised.

"Ah. Can I come in?" he asked. Tatsumaki looked up at him with her eyebrows crossed.

"Are you stupid? Are you going to watch over me from outside?" she said.

' _This freaking brat._ ' Saitama thought as he felt another vein pop on his head. Nonetheless, he entered the prime apartment of Senritsu no Tatsumaki. This is going to be a hell of a week.

Tatsumaki didn't even bother giving him a tour. She straight up went to her living room and switched her television on using her psychokinesis. With a huff, Saitama walked over to where she was and handed her the remote.

"No using of your powers, remember?" he insisted. With a scoff, Tatsumaki grabbed the remote brashly and switched the channels. With nothing better to do, Saitama sat down on the couch as well, though there was a great distance between him and the esper. A bit curious, he glanced around. In the corner of his eye, he noticed a certain fruit sitting on one of the fruits in a bowl on the table. So she didn't throw the bananas away, much to his relief.

"Hey, you kept the bananas." he said with a small smile. Feeling slightly embarrassed, Tatsumaki turned her head away as she crossed her arms.

"I'd hate to throw away food. It's senseless." she replied.

"What're you having for dinner?" Saitama asked.

"I don't know. Whatever I can make."

"You cook?"

"I'm not a freaking kid, moron." Tatsumaki said, slightly taken aback.

"So what do you cook?"

"I just fry whatever's in there."

"What?! You just fry?"

"It's not time-consuming."

"Can I go in your kitchen?"

With Tatsumaki's approval (which was a nod), Saitama stood up and walked towards the kitchen. He opened the fridge and was somehow shocked with its contents. Quality ingredients stocked the refrigerator full, and all she did was fry these?!

"You can make different types of nabe with these!" he said as he ogled at the beauty of the ingredients in front of him. Tatsumaki stood up and walked over to her kitchen as well, checking what her visitor was doing.

"Fubuki shops, okay? And sometimes, when she comes over, she cooks too. They're not grand and fancy dishes, but she cooks." Tatsumaki responded with her arms crossed.

"Do you have a donabe pot?"

"No."

A bit surprised and partly disappointed, Saitama decided to just make yosenabe so that any ingredient could be used. A normal pot should probably do. He could use the beef, some eggs, tofu, enoki and shiitake mushrooms, daikon and the best vegetable of all; cabbage. This could take a while, and he wasn't so sure that Tatsumaki has a portable stove so-

"Are you listening to me?!" Tatsumaki said, breaking Saitama's train of thought. He also remembered that he still has to make dinner back at his apartment. King already said he'd come by for dinner.

"What was that?" Saitama asked, still thinking about his dinner. He could invite her over his own home, but they were getting a bit crowded, most especially because of King and-

"What the hell are you thinking?" again, the petite esper interrupted his thoughts.

"I was going to make you dinner. It's not really healthy to eat fried meals all the time."

"You… cook?" Tatsumaki asked, surprised that this man in front of her suggested that he would cook something for her.

"Yeah. It's not really that hard. I mean, with all the great ingredients the world has to offer, why not create something delectable from it?" Saitama reasoned. Tatsumaki placed a hand on her hip as he stared up at the young man.

"Is that so? Then I want to test your culinary skills. Use whatever ingredient and equipmemt you want in my kitchen. If you impress me, I might even acknowledge your existence as a person." she said. With her nitpicky attitude, there is absolutely no way he could impress her with his common skills. It's not like he studied in any culinary school.

With a serious game face on, Saitama grinned.

"Challenge accepted."

* * *

After an hour or so, Saitama was done with his nabe. Luckily for him, Tatsumaki did have a portable stove somewhere in her kitchen. It actually smelt great, she admitted to herself though not out loud. She has yet to taste the nabe.

Taking a bowl, Saitama placed one of each ingredient he cooked. With a soup ladle, he poured some broth on her bowl. With a spoon, Tatsumaki took a sip of the dish and was undeniably surprised that it tasted great. Oh crap.

"So how is it?" Saitama asked as he removed the apron from him. Tatsumaki, whose cheeks were slightly red from embarrassment, could only scoff.

"It's alright." she muttered.

"Did it match your standards?" he asked with a grin.

Tatsumaki rolled her eyes as he continued to eat her nabe in silence. Saitama concluded that she indeed liked it.

"It's not much. I mean, Genos is a better cook than me. But it's probably because he has a program for it or something."

"That cyborg can cook to?" she asked as she took a bite of the tofu.

"Yep. He had some skills installed."

"Huh."

Saitama grabbed a bowl as well and started to pour himself some broth.

"See? It's better than always eating fried meals." he muttered.

"Whatever." she replied. She has to admit, it was one of the nicest meals she had in her life. Probably because it helped boost her strength. As the two ate in silence, a strange occurrence suddenly happened.

"Thank you," Tatsumaki muttered quietly. "For the bananas and the meal."

Taken by complete surprise, Saitama's full attention was on the green-haired esper. He didn't expect that Senritsu no Tatsumaki, the most arrogant person he has ever met, would actually feel grateful for something he did.

Maybe she's really just bad at making friends.

Maybe she was just pushing people away for reasons he doesn't know.

"No problem." Saitama replied with a small smile as he finished his share of nabe.

* * *

 **I re-read the manga and re-watched the anime. Tatsumaki is adorable af. I LOVE HER SO MUUUUUUUCH I DON'T GET THE HATE PEOPLE THROW AT HER LIKE WHYYYYY DX anyway it's probably because I'm biased to tsunderes but still, she's hella cute. Iloveherso.**

 **Anyways, I'm not really quite sure about Tats' limits and maximum power, so I just assumed that she is super drained and overworked from the previous arc that it would probably take some time to regain her full powers back. And that she can't cook. That's just my headcanon lol.**

 **Also, I remember saying in the previous chapter that there would be angst. Well, I kinda decided to move it to further chapters so that it would fit in my plot line. Sorry 'bout that. Mehe.**

 **See you guys in the next chappie~**


	4. Chapter 3: Choosing the Tsundere Route

"How the hell did it come to this." Saitama muttered in defeat as he stood in front of Tatsumaki's sink, scrubbing off dirt from the bowls and the pot that he used. Since he kind of "forbade" her to use her psychokinesis, he was the one doing the dishes after they ate the nabe he made. On the other hand, the small esper went back to her living room, probably watching T.V again. Realization hit him; the Association hired him to be Tatsumaki's housekeeper for the week. Curse Bang and his goddamn friend from the Hyogo Prefecture and his freaking Kobe beef.

After washing the dishes, he walked back to the living room as he dried his hands using a dish towel. Instead of sitting on the couch, Saitama found Tatsumaki standing in front of a one-level cabinet with picture frames displayed on it. Oddly enough, the esper was focusing on a single picture alone. Slightly curious, he walked towards her and took a small peek at the frame. It was two kids holding hands. The older kid had curly green hair while the toddler had straight, short black hair. Weird. Are those her nieces or something? But the picture is kinda old… and the green-haired kid had eyes that were very similar with-

And alas realization has hit him once more.

"That's you and Fubuki when you were kids!" he proclaimed, somehow shocked. Turning around, Tatsumaki's face was somehow red.

"W-what the?! Don't go around my apartment sneaking on me!" she shrieked as she clenched her fists. Saitama ignored her whining as he looked closer at the photograph. The two were standing next to a couple who looked nothing like them.

"Wow, your parents look… normal." he muttered. He half-expected that Tatsumaki's parents would have outrageously curly hair that was either green or black in color. Instead, they looked ordinary citizens. With a slight huff, she crossed her arms. Yet again, the bald idiot ignored her.

"That's because we're adopted." she muttered.

"Ah-! Really? I didn't expect that." he responded. Maybe this explains Tatsumaki and Fubuki's odd personalities, he thought.

' _Huh. It's like nothing changed,_ ' Saitama muttered, transferring his gaze from the photograph to Tatsumaki. ' _She's still so small._ '

"What?" Tatsumaki's stern and high-pitched voice distracted Saitama's train of thought. A bit surprised, he instantly scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Nah, it's nothing."

"That was taken when I was about 7. After those assholes took me away-" Realizing that she was talking too much, Tatsumaki stopped and then scoffed.

"Huh? What was that? Took you where?" Saitama asked, slightly curious but also partly distracted with some of the picture frames that were on top of the cabinet.

"It's none of your business." she replied. "What the hell are still doing here, anyway? Are you planning to sleep here?!"

"Oh crap! You're right! I forgot about tonight's dinner!" Saitama said. King was probably waiting for him now. Nah, he probably won't get bored. He's most likely to be playing videogames right now, leveling himself up so that he could shamelessly defeat Saitama without breaking a sweat. Even though the bald hero was just a beginner.

"I gotta go. Don't use your powers. See you tomorrow." he said as he got out of Tatsumaki's apartment in a hurry. With his abilities, he would probably reach his apartment in a minute or so. Left alone in her humble home, Tatsumaki rolled her eyes with her arms crossed.

"Hmph."

There must be something wrong with her, she thought. She was letting someone cook for her. She was letting someone watch over her. And worst of all, she was about to say something personal about her life to someone. It's like he's her friend.

Bullshit. She's not friends with anybody.

Friends would only drag you down.

Just like what Fubuki's stupid group did to her.

* * *

As Saitama tried to catch his breath, he opened his apartment door. He was very relieved to be home.

"Welcome back, sensei. I have took it upon myself to cook dinner tonight since King-san is already here and I assumed that you would be very tired from watching over Tatsumaki." Genos, with an apron on and a ladle in hand said. King, just as he predicted, was playing video games.

"You were with Tatsumaki, Saitama-bro?" King asked, not taking his attention off the console. With a tired sigh, Saitama removed his boots as he walked towards his room.

"Yeah. Cooked her dinner and washed her dishes. It's like the Association hired me to be her housekeeper." he muttered as he sat down beside King.

"You cooked for her and she didn't kill you?" King said.

"Yeah. I think she's slowly warming up."

"Man, you really are good."

Somehow confused, Saitama stared at King with an eyebrow arched.

"What do you mean?"

"It's like a classic dating sim game, bro. And it seems like you've chosen the tsundere path." King said as a matter-of-factly. Somehow, this made Saitama laugh.

"Whoa, what? You think me and the midget are- Oh no, dude. That's crazy and absolutely not likely to happen. Man, you're a real funny guy King." Saitama said as he looked up and turned his attention to the cyborg.

"Ah, thanks for cooking, Genos." he said, as if changing the topic. King could only laugh internally. Saitama's response was also a classic reaction.

"It's not a problem, sensei. It will be ready in a few minutes." Genos replied, as serious as ever. Despite eating already back at the esper's place, Saitama decided to still eat dinner. It would be a bit weird if he wouldn't since Genos did go through the trouble of cooking in his stead. And it wouldn't be polite if King would eat while he wouldn't. And besides, he needs to store a lot of energy for tomorrow. Babysitting the stubborn esper isn't really a small thing.

* * *

A loud ringing filled Saitama's apartment early in the morning. He shifted around his futon, slightly annoyed and somehow confused. He was pretty sure he didn't set up an alarm for today. As he lied on his back with his eyes slightly open, what the hell was making the infernal noise? He sat up and looked around. Much to his surprise, it was cellphone that was ringing. Picking it up, he answered to stop the stupid noise.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Caped Baldy-san. This is the Heroes Association. We are calling to help remind you about your special mission concerning Tatsumaki-san." a male voice answered. A bit pissed, he yawned before he responded.

"You called me just to tell that?" he asked.

"We are sorry if we woke you up. And yes, we called just to remind you that."

"Oh okay." Saitama muttered before he hang up. He looked at the time on his phone and was surprised to see that it was only six o'clock in the morning. He lied flat on his back as he grunted.

"How did I get myself in to this?" he mumbled to himself. Nonetheless, he got up and stretched. He suddenly felt that the Association didn't have faith in him, as if he was going to ditch on Tatsumaki. Well he probably would sometime this week, but he already promised Bang he would. Dang the stupid beef, he again mentally cursed as he brushed his teeth. On the bright side, it seemed like the small esper was warming up to him. He only hopes that it would last for six more days because God knows what would happen during that period of time. And he's not too excited in having another apartment destroyed.

With a sigh, he placed his toothbrush back on a glass sitting on his sink before grabbing a shirt that said "soy sauce" on it and cargo shorts. He figured that he'd only be babysitting today, so he won't be needing his hero suit. He slipped his slippers on and opened the door as he got of his apartment. Saitama then proceeded in walking towards Tatsumaki's apartment. Compared to the A-class's area, the S-class's apartments looked grander and bigger, despite having 17 residents only. Plus, not all the residents even resided there. After walking for a few more minutes, he finally reached Senritsu no Tatsumaki's unit.

He rang the doorbell casually, and placed his hands back in his pockets as he waited for Tatsumaki to open the door. After hearing some shuffling and light footsteps, the door abruptly opened with the esper still in her… well, pajamas. Saitama suppressed a laugh, and it was a good thing that he did because Tatsumaki was glaring at him as if she wanted him dead.

"YOU'RE TOO DAMN EARLY! I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE BREAKFAST YET! MY DAY DIDN'T EVEN START AND NOW IT'S RUINED YOU IDIOT!" Tatsumaki's shrill voice rang in his ears. It was annoying, yes, and he had to endure this. Crap.

"Hey, I'm just as pissed as you are. The Association woke me up just to remind me about this 'special mission' of theirs."

"AND JUST TO REMIND YOU, WE'RE NOT FRIENDS! NOT EVEN CLOSE!"

Saitama blinked. What the hell was she talking about?

"Uh sure." he muttered, as deadpanned as ever. A bit surprised that the hero was unfazed from what she just screamed at him, she crossed her arms. He's surprisingly cooperative.

"Good." she said as he closed slammed the door shot in Saitama's face. Before Saitama could react, the door opened once more and revealed the small esper in her usual black dress. That was fast, Saitama thought.

"You used your powers, didn't you?" Saitama asked in defeat. This woman is the definition of stubborn.

"So? It's not like I was levitating objects."

"Still, the doctor was firm in saying that you shouldn't use your powers for a week."

Tatsumaki scoffed as she crossed her arms. He was acting like a doting friend again. It just pisses her even more.

"Stop acting like you care." she quietly muttered as she turned her back on him. Saitama awkwardly entered as he wasn't invited in, yet again. "Sorry for intruding." he muttered.

As he glanced around, Tatsumaki walked to her kitchen and levitated herself as she cooked pancakes. Saitama stared at her. She was like a kid defying the rules. He walked over to where she was and tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

"I uh… could do that. Just don't fly or something." Saitama offered, only to receive another glare from her.

"I'm not a kid." she muttered angrily. Seeing that there was no way of persuading her, the young hero grabbed a chair from the dining room and placed it in front of the stove, and then carrying the small esper before placing her on top of the chair. Like a kid.

Tatsumaki blinked and unconsciously resumed her cooking until she realized what Saitama just did.

"What the fuck?! How freaking dare you!" she screamed at him for the second time that morning. As usual, Saitama ignored her.

"Hey, the pancakes need flipping. They'll burn." he simply replied as he went back in to the dining room and sat on one of the chairs. In a pit of anger, Tatsumaki lifted a newly-cooked pancake and threw it across the room towards Saitama's face using her psychokinesis. Feeling the hot flapjack slowly slide down his smooth head, the bald hero stood up and walked towards the esper, his façade as serious as ever.

"Wasting. Food. Is. Considered. Evil. You. Freaking. Brat." he muttered, somehow a bit menacing that even Tatsumaki felt a sudden chill down her spine, but she didn't let it show. She even managed to scoff at the angered hero.

"You told me to flip the pancakes, didn't you?" she replied calmly. Feeling a vein popping on his head, Saitama suppressed the urge to tie the stubborn runt in one of the dining room's chairs. Instead, she grabbed her wrist and pulled the turner from her small hand.

"Stop acting like a goddamn kid." Saitama said, still pretty angry about the thrown pancake, which was lying in pity on the cold, hard floor.

"Did you just call me a kid, you freaking egghead?!"

"Yeah, I did you smug brat!"

"OH THAT IS IT!"

And with that, Tatsumaki grabbed the bowl of batter and threw a pile on Saitama's head using a wooden spoon. On the other hand, he remained motionless for a few seconds but somehow, his aura was serious as ever. This time, the esper knew that she kind of crossed the line. Saitama glared at her in the corner of his eye, but it was enough to silence her. With a 'hmph', she placed the bowl back and walked straight to the dining room. She could totally handle him anytime, but breakfast was being risked here, she thought as she sat down reluctantly.

As he saw Tatsumaki retreat, Saitama heaved a deep sigh. He really was babysitting a kid, wasn't he? All those years of training and what he was doing for the Heroes Association was to take care of an emotionally unstable midget. Great.

After Saitama was done cooking, he placed a plateful of pancakes in front of Tatsumaki. There were at least five flapjacks. "Here."

Tatsumaki stared at the pancakes and then at him. She stood up and walked towards the refrigerator to grab a syrup for her breakfast. As she sat back on her chair, she started to eat. A bit reluctant, she handed Saitama an extra fork as she looked up at him.

"You should eat too." she muttered. A bit surprised, Saitama took the fork from her small hand. He wondered if he could eat from her plate, considering her arrogant self. He gingerly sliced a piece from her plate and ate the food he cooked. It was pretty good.

"Thanks." he replied as he continued to eat. ' _She's really like a kid._ '

"You cooked too many, dumbass! I obviously can't finish it myself!" she retorted back, slightly flustered. Saitama almost choked on his pancake.

' _A really annoying kid._ ' he thought.

* * *

Tatsumaki heaved a deep and bored sigh. After eating breakfast, she proceeded on watching some programs on her T.V. For the first time in her life, she resisted the urge to transfer to the news channel every 5 minutes or so to make her not mind about monsters attacking cities. She placed her stare at her wall clock and was absolutely disappointed to see that it was only 8 o'clock in the morning. What the hell was she supposed to do during her so-called break? Count the tiles of her floor?

"You keep switching the channels. Can't you make up your mind?"

What worse, the last person she wanted to see was there in her house, babysitting her. Specifically, he was sitting beside here on the couch, watching what she was watching. With a scowl, she clicked the remote once more to change the channel.

"It's my goddamn television. And there isn't a good program, anyway."

Saitama decided to leave her alone with her remote. He pondered on what he would do for the whole damn day with Tatsumaki. Surely, he wouldn't last an hour with her holed up in the apartment. He had to at least take her outside so that they won't end up killing each other. But where could he take her? A place with no villains to beat up, remotely far away from a lot of civilians and won't bore her at the same time. Just then, an idea popped on his head.

"Hey, let's go over at Bang's Dojo. You're probably bored out of your skull too." he suggested. He realized that Bang was the one who asked for the favor so he figured, why not bring her there too? Bang had a lot of 'activities' that Tatsumaki could do. He especially remembered the unfinished game of _janken_. He has yet to have a rematch with the martial artist. Maybe Bang could entertain the small esper.

"What? Why there?" Tatsumaki asked, somehow curios as she placed her remote down.

"I figured you won't get bored there. Apparently, he has this set of games to help you master the art of defense or something."

"I don't freaking need to master the art of defense."

"Do you prefer switching channels all day?"

Tatsumaki considered the thought. It is a tad better rather than staying in. And hey, a few games could probably help ease the boredom. With a scoff, she crossed her arms across her chest as she muttered her response.

"Fine. Let's go."

* * *

 **Saitama is about to bring chaos at Bang's dojo.**

 **Stay tuned for a _very_ stressed out Charanko.**

 **lmao jk**


	5. Chapter 4: Jan Ken Pon

**Yo! So, so sorry for the late update! School just started and as a graduating student, shit ton of responsibilities just multiplied like freaking gremlins. Anyways, updates may come sporadically and I can sense a mental block coming so... yeah. Good luck to me.**

 **Again, thanks to all your support! The reviews, the faves, the follows, everything!**

* * *

Arriving at Bang's dojo, the trip wasn't exactly as easy as taking a kid through a commute. Saitama almost regret the thought of enforcing what the doctor has told him about the limitations of Tatsumaki's powers. She can't use them for an entire week, that's it. Which means she can't fly or levitate. Taking a cab was the only choice he got, because the esper would probably kill him if he carried her all the way to the dojo. Though the association would pay for the expenses, getting stuck in a car with Tatsumaki isn't really pleasant. Especially if she hates you.

"We're finally here." Saitama said in relief as he got out of the cab. Tatsumaki followed after and stared up at the massive length of the staircase that they would climb.

"I'm not climbing those stairs for a stupid dojo." the small esper said as she crossed her arms. With a sigh Saitama, turned around to face her.

"Oh come on. It would be good exercise." he persuaded her.

"If you would just let me fly, then we'd be up there in a second or so!"

"Or, I could run and carry you and we'd both be up there in a second or so."

Tatsumaki glared at the bald hero. He wouldn't dare.

"You are not touching me." she said. With an eyebrow arched, Saitama scratched his head.

"Gee, don't make it sound like I'm trying to take advantage of you." he responded, making Tatsumaki twitch in anger.

"Whatever! I've made up my mind! I am not going to walk all my way-"

Within a split second, Saitama picked up Tatsumaki in his arms and ran all the way up to Bang's dojo in a matter of… 5 seconds.

"-up there." Tatsumaki finished, realizing that she was already in front of the dojo. She looked around as Saitama set her down. As he patted dust off himself Tatsumaki was more than ready to barrage the egghead with insults but he simply walked pass her and knocked on the dojo's door. She could feel a vein pop on her temple. Did he just ignore her yet again?

"How dare you carry me, you stupid, bald-headed creep! I could handle myself, I didn't need your help!" Tatsumaki ranted on, only to be ignored by Saitama. This made her even madder.

"Listen to me, egghead!" she yelled as she kicked his leg, but the bald hero was still unaffected. Feeling her patience drop a notch, she floated on top of his head and grabbed him in a very annoying manner. How could he ignore her now?

"Oi! No ushing of yer powersh, dyammit!" Saitama said, slightly gibberish since the small esper was grabbing his face as if it were a stress ball as a way to pester him.

The wooden sliding door opened and revealed Bang's only disciple. Charanko was somehow confused to see Saitama with… Senristsu no Tatsumaki stretching the bald hero's face as she floated. That was a weird sight to see. With no effort to be wasted, Saitama grabbed hold of the esper's arm and pulled her away from his head. Then, he placed her down on the ground to stand up.

"Ah, hey Charanko. What's up?" Saitama greeted with a hand up.

"Master is on his way, Saitama… and uh…" Charanko took a peek at Tatsumaki, who already looked she could kill a man with her bare hands.

"…Senritsu no Tatsumaki-san." he finished as he invited the two in.

"And who the hell is this?!" Tatsumaki demanded for an answer as she looked up at Saitama, pointing a finger at Charanko.

"He's Bang's best disciple." he answered blankly as they entered the humble dojo. Tatsumaki simply scoffed in reply. When they were in, Saitama sat down in front of a table while Tatsumaki did the same with her arms crossed. The orange-haired disciple then proceeded to serve tea to their dojo's guest. After their beverages were served, Bang exited a room and glanced at his two guests.

"It's quite a surprise to see you here Saitama and… Tatsumaki." he said as he sat down across them. He gave Charanko a nod to say that he didn't wanted some tea.

"We could play that _janken_ game. Tatsumaki here might be interested." Saitama casually said as he took a sip of his tea. Hearing her name, Tatsumaki simply scoffed and took a sip of her tea as well.

"It's not like I have anything better to do anyway. Playing any stupid game is whole lot better than being stuck in my apartment with this A-class idiot." the esper said. Saitama could feel a vein pop on his head but he continued to ignore her stingy comments for goodness sake.

"I see. A game of _janken_ it is then. Charanko, please gather the objects to be used." the old man said, as he instructed his disciple. Charanko nodded and stood up to get the said materials. With an eyebrow arched, Tatsumaki's curiosity was slightly pricked as she saw the orange-haired disciple carrying a helmet and two rubber hammers. If it was just a game of _janken_ , what are those toys for?

Saitama could see the confusion on Tatsumaki's as she eyes the hammers and the helmets. If those were the actual things, it would've been a disaster. After Charanko finished setting up, the three heroes walked towards the objects and positioned themselves with Bang facing Tatsumaki and Saitama sitting beside the disciple.

"Back in the days, Tatsumaki, when my dojo was brimming with disciples, we had this training activity that—"

"Basically, when you win, you get to hit your opponent with the hammer as he quickly defends himself with his helmet." Saitama blankly said, making Bang sigh. Charanko was about to speak up and defend his master but Tatsumaki's voice was far too loud.

"My, is that all? And you use this to train for martial arts? How utterly childish." she said with a scoff.

"Now now, this may be childish but it helps improve your speed and harness your decision-making skills; all part of learning martial arts." Bang replied calmly. He was used to Tatsumaki's harsh mouth.

"Whatever, let's begin." she said as she furrowed her eyebrows.

" _Tataitte, kabutte jan ken pon!_ "

Tatsumaki had paper while Bang had rock. In an instant, the small esper reached for the hammer, but realized that Bang had already worn the helmet.

' _H-he's so fast.'_ she thought in amazement, but she didn't openly show her reaction.

"And that is how you play the game." Bang said with a slight nod. Tatsumaki scoffed before pointing a finger at Saitama, her glare at him obviously begging for a challenge.

"Hey baldy. I still have a bone to pick with you. I challenge you!" she exclaimed, but Saitama could only stare at her blankly.

"Okay." he said before changing places with Bang.

" _Tataitte, kabutte jan ken pon!_ "

Saitama had scissors while Tatsumaki had paper. Tatsumaki abruptly reached for the helmet but alas, her arms we're far too… short. She clicked her tongue as she leaned forward to grab the helmet but she felt a soft tap on her head. Saitama had already hit her. Automatically, this made her extremely pissed.

' _Did I hit her too hard?_ ' Saitama asked himself, slightly worried for his well-being since he agitated her once more.

"ONE MORE TIME!" Tatsumaki screamed as she patted her head and fixed her hair. Saitama shrugged. He might as well entertain her for goodness' sake.

" _Tataitte, kabutte jan ken pon!_ "

Saitama had rock while Tatsumaki had scissors. She lost, yet again. Feeling slightly disappointed but mostly angry, she stared at the hammer that was about to hit her head instead of actually reaching for the helmet and in a split second, she instinctively used her powers to push Saitama away, creating a giant hole in Silverfang's dojo. Once again, before Charanko could react, Saitama's loud voice interrupted him.

"What the hell, Tatsumaki?! That was cheating!" Saitama said, obviously mad. Tatsumaki stood up and was as angry as him.

"Shut the hell up! It's not like I did it on purpose! The hammer was coming right at me!"

"IT WAS SUPPOSED TO COME RIGHT AT YOU!"

"WOULD YOU TWO DAMN HEROES STOP DISRESPECTING MASTER'S DOJO?!" Charanko, who saw his chance to express himself, screamed at the two. But to no avail, he was ignored.

"I demand a rematch you egghead creep!" the green-haired esper declared. Saitama sighed. This was his idea in the first place, so he had to keep up with her.

"Fine, fine." he said as he walked back to his position and sat down.

" _Tataitte, kabutte janken pon!_ "

Tatsumkai had rock while Saitama had paper. Before she could even think, the bald hero had already hit her with the toy hammer.

This went on for a few more rounds, with Saitama nonchalantly hitting her with a hammer and Tatsumaki brimming with anger. Charanko could only stare intently at the two. He has to guard them incase Tatsumaki gets into one of her raging fits. On the other hand, Bang simply observed them

" _Tataitte, kabutte jan ken pon!_ "

Tatsumaki had rock while Saitama had scissors. Sensing her victory, she reached for the hammer. And unfortunately for her short limbs, the said toy was a bit far from her. She gasped and stared at her opponent who already had the helmet on his head. She felt a vein pop in her temple. As she glared at him, she once again used her psychokinesis to levitate the hammer and hit Saitama with it so hard that he was dig deep to the ground, again creating another hole in the dojo. Tatsumaki was slightly surprised that she used her power yet again but she didn't let it show.

"AH! You created another hole!" Charanko said in distress. Before Tatsumaki could speak, a hand reached out from the hole.

"Oi… you damn kid…"

Tatsumaki crossed her arms with her eyebrows furrowed. She expected him to be angry.

Slowly, Saitama went out of the hole with a menacing aura around him that even Charanko was slightly intimidated by him.

"How many times do I have to tell you to not use your goddamn powers!? There's only a few days left, can't you even follow that?!" he yelled at her, but the esper could only scoff at him.

"It's your fault! You and this stupid game! Why does the hammer have to be so far away from me!?" Tatsumaki rebutted with her hands placed on her hips. Realizing that reasoning won't be helpful in their argument, Saitama could only sigh. There are five more days to go, and he wasn't too sure if he can make it out alive.

Meanwhile, regardless of all the chaos, Bang still observed. Despite Tatsumaki's harsh words, she looked like she was actually having fun. It wasn't too obvious, but this was a different Tatsumaki, the martial artist thought. Yes she was still childish and temperamental, but something about the esper was different. It was like her well-built walls we're slowly breaking. It isn't much, but it has small marks in it. Indeed, Saitama is an amazing hero.

* * *

After a few more activities, Bang decided to have a small talk with Saitama alone. They were walking outside the dojo whereas Tatsumaki and Charanko were playing a memory game.

"You are doing quite a good job with watching over Tatsumaki." Bang says as he glanced at the esper and his disciple.

"Nah, we fight all the time, even to the smallest of things. She's like a stubborn kid." Saitama said as he picked his nose.

"That is true, but I can see that she is now enjoying the company of others."

Hearing what Bang just said made Saitama laugh.

"I don't think so, Bang. She wants to kill me, I know it." he said in between chuckles and snickers. On the other hand, it seemed that the martial artist disagrees.

"When Tatsumaki was a child, she was taken away from her family to a facility by a bunch of scientists so that they could "research" more about her powers." Bang suddenly said, catching the bald hero's attention. He then remembers what Tatsumaki was saying the other night, about the "assholes" that took her.

"She only escaped the facility when a monster went on a rampage and ruined the entire lab. No one knows how she got out or even survived the incident. She was still a small kid back then." Bang continued, again glancing inside his dojo. Saitama could only stare at him.

"How did you know all that?" the young hero asked.

"Oh, I have my connections from within the association." Bang said with wink and a slight smirk. The two then walked back into the dojo and where greeted with cards just about everywhere and a very distressed Charanko. Tatsumaki had her arms crossed as she stood a few feet away from the mess.

"He isn't really a good player." she muttered as she scoffed. Bang could only sigh as Saitama helped picking up the cards one by one. After cleaning up, the two decided to go home. The sun was about to set anyway.

"Thanks for today, Bang. You too, Charanko. I'll see you around." Saitama said as he waved his hand at the martial artists. On the other hand, Tatsumaki simply gave Bang a glance and a small nod. Charanko was far too afraid to even look at her in the eye as he bowed slightly.

* * *

It was a long day, and reaching Tatsumaki's apartment was a relief. It means the day was over and it's time to go back to his sweet, sweet home. Before parting ways, Saitama held the door to her apartment to prevent it from closing. Slighly surprised, Tatsumaki looked up at the hero with an eyebrow arched.

"What?" she asked.

"You know, it's okay to have friends. Sure, there are people who would want to bring you down, but there are also real friends who would help you go up." Saitama said before Tatsumaki could close her apartment's door. Slightly taken aback, the small esper glared up at the bald hero.

"Excuse me? Are you trying to imply that you and I are friends?" she asked, somewhat tempted to use her powers on him. Again, Saitama regretted opening his mouth.

"I was just trying to tell you that not all people are bad-"

"Shut up! SHUT UP! There is no way in hell I would create relations with people! Relationship creates trust, and in trust people would just blindingly assume that there would be someone to depend on, that someone would come and save them when they really need it and Blast-" Tatsumaki paused, not really realizing that tears were already flowing down her cheeks.

"Blast taught me to never expect someone to come save me again, no matter what the situation is. The world is full of evil, and I only have myself to trust." she muttered finally. For once, Saitama actually listened to her. What she went through when she was a kid was most probably the reason why she was like this; the reason for her arrogance and for pushing people away and being overly protective to Fubuki. With a slight smile, he patted her head comfortingly, which only shocked Tatsumaki.

"I can't say for sure that I understand how you feel but I assure you that there are still people righteous enough to be called a hero; to be trusted." Saitama said. Tatsumaki glanced up at him, still slightly confused.

"I won't press you to tell me everything. I'll just wait until you tell me yourself." He said with a small smile as he gently brushed of her tears with the back of his hand. With a slight nod, he walked away and muttered a small "see you tomorrow", leaving a dumbfounded Tatsumaki alone in her apartment's doorway.

* * *

 **Aaaaaaaanaaaaaaaand we're back with the angst. And the OOC-ness. Pfft.**

 **See ya'll laturs.**


	6. Chapter 5: Hot and Cold

**BACK! My brain finally conjured of something to get the plot going!**

 **Anyway, I hope this one's a good chapter mehe~ I really tried to keep everyone in character. But hey, this is ONE's work we're talking about. The characters are complex amirite?**

* * *

Tatsumaki could somehow still feel the warmth of Saitama's hand when he patted her head to comfort her. It wasn't that big of a deal for a gesture, but it sure struck her. Oddly enough, it actually felt nice. When was the last time someone pat her head? Probably when she was still a kid, her foster parents would pat her head occasionally, and that was before she was taken away from them. After escaping the damned laboratory, her parents were a bit distant from her. And so, she already forgot what it felt like to be comforted by someone. She was aware that her face was getting warmer, but she was also sure that she wasn't blushing. Hell, why would she get flustered about a stupid pat? From an A-class hero, no less.

She suddenly realized she was mindlessly switching channels on her television with her remote, not even focusing on the T.V.

"What the hell am I thinking?" Tatsumaki muttered as she stood up, scratching her head in annoyance.

 _"I can't say for sure that I understand how you feel but I assure you that there are still people righteous enough to be called a hero; to be trusted."_

Somehow, Saitama's words echoed in her head.

"There's no one to trust… besides myself," she muttered to herself as she clenched her fists. "…right?"

* * *

Saitama was left alone in his apartment after a small visit from King and Genos. The young cyborg went to Dr. Kuseno's lab, saying that the doctor wanted to add a feature to his body. He suddenly realized that he was alone in his apartment ever since he became a hero. Lately, a lot of people seem to be involved with him so it's a nice change of pace to be by himself. As he lied down on his futon, he remembered how Tatsumaki suddenly broke down. So she's also human too, he thought.

There was one thing that still bothered him though. Blast seemed to be a big part of Tatsumaki's past since she kept on mentioning the S-class hero.

" _She said something about… what was it again? Ah, right. Blast told her to never expect to come and save her."_ he thought, placing a hand below his chin.

"Did Blast trained her or something? Or probably saved her from something-" the bald hero stopped thinking, realizing what he just said.

"Blast was the one who saved her." Saitama muttered, as he connected what Bang just told him and the pieces that he already knows. It actually made sense. Bang did mention that no one knows how Tatsumaki survived the incident in the lab, plus she probably didn't say anything to anyone about her life. He suddenly remembered their conversation about her becoming a hero. She said that it was because of Bla, and Saitama already figured that out.

She became a hero because of Blast.

Because he saved her when she needed it the most.

And probably after that, she was determined to become a hero as well.

Saitama suddenly sat up and rubbed his head. He was taking this too seriously now that it actually weirded him out. Thinking that it just might be plain curiosity, he brushed off his latter thoughts.

At the very least, now he knows why Senritsu no Tatsumaki is an arrogant prick who doesn't like co-ops and teamwork.

* * *

The next day came by when Tatsumaki was woken up by her alarm clock. She was used to waking up early and waiting for a call from the Hero's Association to ask for her aid but since she was on a break, it was actually a pain to wake up so early in the morning. She turned her clock off as she got up and stretched. Then she glanced at her calendar. There are still 4 days to go before she can go back to her duties as a hero. And 4 more days and she'll be free from staring at the A-class asshole's bald head, she thought.

As per her morning routine, she brushed her teeth and took a quick shower before having her breakfast. Remembering yesterday's breakfast was pretty painful, so she angrily stabbed her bacon with a fork to ease the cringe feeling. After breakfast, she sat on living room's couch and watched the news. There were a few monster attacks in different cities, but it's not like she can do anything about it. She switched the channel using her remote control, but there isn't a program that suited her fancy. With a huge sigh, she glanced at her wall clock.

It read 7:46 am.

Damn, where is the stupid bald jerk? She asked herself as she crossed her arms in annoyance.

Did the association failed to wake him up? Did he ditch her? Was he too fed up with her attitude? Or did he die somewhere?

Tatsumaki decided that the last one is far too impossible to actually happen so she crossed that one out. She shook her head brashly then. Why the hell is she even waiting for him to arrive? It's not like they're friends or anything.

But then she remembered his hand softly patting her head. It was a quick pat, but it was really comforting, she thought.

"No, he's not my friend," she muttered to herself quietly. "Not ever."

After a few more of hours of watching T.V., Saitama still hasn't made an appearance. It was already 11 am, where the hell is he? Did he deliberately just ditched her after she "opened" up to him?

The nerve of the asshole.

Tatsumki felt her powers emanate from her as she angrily clenched her fists.

"That no-good asshole. After seeing me vulnerable he decides to ditch me?! How dare he?! He really is just an arrogant fuckwad!" she muttered under her breath as she changed in to her "going out" clothes. The weather forecaster did say that it would be a bit windy today, so she grabbed her trench coat and slipped on her ankle boots. She's going to give the A-class idiot a piece of her mind.

Keeping in mind what Saitama kept on reminding her, she walked out of her apartment and made her way to the A class' apartment area. It was not far from her place, but it was absolutely different from theirs. The A class apartment looked like a normal apartment a citizen would find in the local cities compared to the S class' apartment.

As Tatsumaki reached her destination, she suddenly realized that she had no idea which was the baldy's apartment. Walking through the corridors awkwardly, she spotted a man, probably an A-class hero, knocking on an apartment door. With not a moment to waste, she called the man's attention.

"Hey! You there! The guy with a beanie and headphones!" she said with an index finger pointed at him. The man glanced at Tatsumaki's direction, somehow confused.

"Whaddaya want kid?" he asked, not fully realizing that the person he was talking to was S-class' rank 2 hero.

"Did you just call me a kid?!" Tatsumaki was tempted to use her psychokinesis to the man as she slightly glowed green. Now realizing who he was talking to, the man flinched.

"O-oh! S-s-senritsu no T-tatsumaki-san! W-what brings you to these parts?"

With a huff, she crossed her arms, deciding to let the man's insult slide.

"Do you know where Caped Baldy lives?" she asked. Slightly surprised, the man nodded and pointed to the apartment he was knocking at.

"You meant Saitama, right? He lives here." he replied.

"Is he not home?" she asked with an eyebrow raised.

"It seems. I've been knocking for almost a minute now. He must've went outside—"

Without letting him finish his sentence, Tatsumaki walked away to find the bald hero. The man, who goes by the name Hero Forte, was left standing there and staring at nothing.

Since she was already outside, Tatsumaki decided to walk around City B to pass time. The crime rate in the city was actually lower these past few days, so she realized that there won't be any monsters that could distract her in her break. Passing by a café, she saw by the store's window scrumptious variety of cakes. She resisted the urge to glance in awe since she was in public. It would be quite out of character to act like a child. With a deep sigh, she walked away reluctantly.

Continuing her walk, she saw a bunch of people crowding in a grocery store. Slightly curious, Tatsumaki walked towards it and took a peek. Apparently, there was a huge give-away sale happening at the said store.

"So that's why everyone's been crowding here." she muttered to herself. As she decided to walk away from the horde of people, she saw a familiar bald head shining amidst the crowd.

It was Saitama.

"Damn, if only Genos were here, grocery shopping would been a whole lot easier." he muttered while holding a radish and reaching out to grab a pack of pork that was on sale. There were a lot people as expected, but he can't really just shove all these citizens away just to get what he needs.

As he was about to give up in grabbing the said item, it floated up away from the customers and slammed in his face really hard, though it didn't really hurt him.

"What the—" he muttered as he held the pack of pork away from his slightly reddened face. "A stroke of luck, eh?"

"You stupid egghead! Why the hell did you ditch me!?" Saitama heared a familiar, high-pitched voice. Looking down on the small esper, he was slightly surprised to see Tatsumaki.

"Don't tell me you used your powers to smack this on me?" Saitama asked blankly.

"You didn't answer my question, asshole!"

"Well, as you can see, this grocery store has a really neat sale going on. I can't pass this up." he replied, showing her the basket of goods he just gathered. Ignoring the grocery items, Tatsumaki crossed her arms and glared at him intensely.

"Now that you saw my weak side you just decide on ditching me?! Are you really that much of a jerk!?" she yelled at him, her cheeks slightly red in color. She won't admit it nor does she even realize it, but she would hate it if Saitama really did ditch her.

"Hey, after taking care of these groceries, I intend to go to your apartment. This sale is just for today, see?" Saitama flatly explained as he pointed at the sign by the counter. Feeling slightly relieved, Tatsumaki huffed and stared down.

"Ah, thanks for lifting up this pack of pork for me. I know you used your powers to get it, but I guess I'll let this one slide." he said as he patted her head. Somehow, Tatsumaki felt that same feeling she felt yesterday when he patted her head. And it made her really, _really_ mad.

"How dare you touch me!" she exclaimed, surprising the young hero as he retreated his hand.

"Sorry." he muttered as he walked towards the counter to pay for his items. Tatsumaki stared up at his walking figure with a glare. She hates to admit that she like getting pat on her head. But there was no way in hell would she openly show it. Especially since it was the A-class nobody that did it to her.

After paying for his goods, Saitama walked towards the small esper.

"I just need to drop these off at my place." he said, to which Tatsumaki only answered with a 'hmph'. Luckily for him, he somehow got used to her attitude.

"It's kinda weird seeing you out here. Especially when you're not in your usual dress." he said without looking down on her.

"I'm still on a break. No use to wear my outfit." she replied just as flatly. Saitama only nodded.

Silence dawned upon them for a few moments before Saitama broke the silence.

"Sorry for patting your head back at the grocery. I guess I invaded your personal space, huh? I totally get you." he said as he glanced at her. Slightly surprised, Tatsumaki looked up at him. Somehow, she felt kind of bad for yelling at him.

Wait what?

Tatsumaki shook her head brashly. What in the hell is she feeling?!

"Cut the crap and quit being nice." she snapped back with her arms crossed. Saitama only nodded. He may understand her attitude because of her past, but she's being difficult, he thought.

"Well, it's about time to have lunch. Want to stop by at my place first? King's coming over and… uh… some dude I met days ago. I think." Saitama offered. Tatsumaki was still being wary over the hero's actions, but since she hadn't thought up of what to eat yet, she decided to accept his offer.

"Fine. Let's be quick with it." she replied brashly.

* * *

Reaching Saitama's apartment, the two entered his humble home.

"My place is pretty small compared to yours but make yourself at home." he said as he placed his groceries on his kitchen counter. Tatsumaki removed her coat and boots as she walked inside. It was indeed small, and she can't imagine how King would fit in here. As Saitama began to prepare lunch, she sat down in front of the small table and placed her coat beside her.

"How do you manage to fit guests in here?" Tatsumaki asked plainly.

"Geez, it may be small but it's the best I've got. It's free. And if I remember correctly, _you_ ruined my previous apartment." Saitama said, not taking his focus off of what he was doing. With a huff, Tatsumaki crossed her arms. She felt that damned feeling of guilt but this time, she suppressed it.

"It's not my fault that those damned monsters' HQ was right under your apartment."

"Yeah. But you gotta control your power sometimes. I mean, consider your environment. Citizens might be put in danger and buildings with innocent people in it might get hurt."

"I can control my powers just fine, baldy! Who the hell are you to tell me how to use my powers anyway?!"

Saitama decided not to argue further and focused on his cooking.

Silence was again broke when a knock rang around his apartment.

"Must be King." Saitama muttered as he walked towards his door and opened it.

"Yo, you're a bit early man. I'm still making lunch." he said and welcomed the S-class hero in. Without a word, King entered and removes his shoes. As he walked towards his usual spot in front of the television, he was surprised to see Tatsumaki. In an instant, his otaku brain conjured a conclusion. He walked back towards the doorway and gave the bald hero a slight nod.

"Sorry for bothering Saitama-bro. Didn't know you'd be eating lunch with Senritsu no Tatsumaki." he said, heavily _implying_ something. Saitama was somehow confused.

"Eh? You're not really a bo- OH MY GOD DID YOU THINK THAT TATSUMAKI AND I ARE—''

"I guess I'll just stop by tomorrow then. See ya-"

"COME BACK HERE DAMNIT!"

Snickering, King nodded and walked back to the living room.

"I was kidding, bro." he said. With a sigh, Saitama went back to his cooking.

"Nice to see you here, Tatsumaki-san." King said quietly. Slightly surprised that King is indeed a close friend of Saitama, Tatsumaki could only nod.

"It's not like I really wanted to be here." she replied curtly. King could only laugh internally.

" _She's indeed a genuine tsundere."_ the otaku thought to himself.

* * *

As Saitama hoped lunch with Tatsumaki and King went smoothly. He was surprised that the esper wasn't as stingy as she usually is. It's probably because of King's presence, he thought. It's indeed true that he is respected among the S-class heroes.

"I can't stay too long, man. I still have to take Tatsumaki back to her apartment." Saitama said as he washed the dishes. King, who was about to go out the door, nodded.

"I understand. Good luck, Saitama-bro." King replied. "And choose the right choices. You must get the CG's."

"I'm not playing any Sim game-"

"I know."

"…goddammit King."

With a slight smirk, King walked out of Saitama's apartment. Saitama sighed and dried his hands with a hand towel.

"Come on Tats, let's go to your apartment—"

Saitama paused as he saw the small esper gazing out the window blankly. She had a perplex look on her face that he decided not to break her thoughts. He shrugged and sat down, a few meters away from her.

"Can I really trust him?" she muttered quietly to herself, not really realizing that she said her thoughts out loud. Saitama stared at her, slightly surprised.

" _Was she referring to me?"_ he asked himself.

"But Blast said-"

"Who cares what Blast said? That was years ago, and I'm sure what he meant is that you should defend yourself if you have to. When you have allies around you, it's okay to depend on them too."

Tatsumaki instantly turned at him, shocked that Saitama was just there beside her.

"What the hell—"

"Look, I think I kinda get you now. What you went through your childhood was hell and I'm not in the position to control what you think but you have to consider that not everyone in the world is an enemy." Saitama said. Tatsumaki stared at him in disbelief. She was getting really mad, mostly because he has a point. She was certain that she was about to rebut him but no words came out of her mouth.

"There's a lot of people in the world, but surely you'll find someone you can trust. It doesn't matter how many, but I'm sure there is."

Tatsumaki remained speechless. She thought about her childhood, on how she felt so isolated and alone, especially in that fucking laboratory. It brought up so many bitter memories. But before she was taken, the memory is blurry but she can slightly remember that she was… happy.

Happy with her family and with Fubuki.

"…this whole damned world can't be trusted." she muttered. "I am perfectly aware of my role in our society. I crush all those who pose a threat to humanity, nothing else. That's probably why I was born. Therefore, human relations are nothing but hindrances. They're meaningless. They weigh me down." she muttered as she stood up and grabbed her coat.

"I'm going. I appreciate the lunch you've made. And I know that the Association said that you'd watch over me for a week, but I think I can handle my own. I won't use my powers for the remaining days of my break. Goodbye."

Putting her shoes on, she left Saitama's apartment. Humanity's strongest hero could only stare at his closed door.

 _Whelp, I did my best._

Saitama thought as he stood up and hid his table to set down his futon before lying down on it. Staring up at his ceiling, he realized that he had a lot of free time now. He thought of what Bang said, that Tatsumaki was getting comfortable with people. It's not really that obvious but deep inside, she probably is. She's probably distancing herself because she's not really familiar with it anymore.

Abruptly sitting up, he knows that he's about to regret the decision he just made.

* * *

Walking towards her apartment, she adjusted her trench coat around her to wrap herself. She reluctantly admits that it felt slightly nice to have a "friend" but she can't risk it. Seeing Fubuki's powers degrade because of her so-called subordinates was painful enough for her. She had to be strong for Fubuki's sake.

As she was about to reach her apartment, she heard a familiar voice gradually coming closer.

"Yo Tats!"

Tatsumaki turned around to see Saitama running towards her.

"What the hell!? I thought I told you I'd be fine by myself!"

In a matter of seconds, Saitama was in front of her, not even tired.

"I know. And I assure you that this is outside the Association's assignment so hear me out."

With her arms crossed she looked up at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Let's go to the amusement park."

* * *

 **AFUCKINGDATEHELLYESSSSS /slapped**

 **Sorry to end it in a cliffhanger. I love cliffhangers mehehehe. Sorry about that.**

 **Sorry for the OOC-ness too. And the typos. Didn't proof-read this one.**

 **Peace out.**


	7. Chapter 6: A Hero For Fun

**I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! Missed me?! 'Course not lmao.**

 **Again, I want to thank all of you dear readers for supporting my story~ I'll be honest, I got slightly pressured because a lot of you seemed to have great expectations in this fic ; v ; and I want to live up to that!**

 **That's why I try my best to stick to ONE's way of writing and to their personalities. But it's so difficult!**

 **Sooooooooo I sincerely apologize if I don't live up to your expectations ; A ;**

 **I still hope you enjoy this chapter tho~**

* * *

Tatsumaki did not expect that her afternoon will be spent in an amusement park with the person that she's trying to avoid. What shocked her the most is that she actually agreed in coming with him, even though she was in the position to decline his offer.

And here they are, standing in line in front of a ticket booth.

"Why did you take me here again?" Tatsumaki asked, slightly irritated.

"Don't you like this kind of stuff? I mean, this is where kids usually have fun, right?" Saitama said jokingly, though it wasn't obvious because of the lack of emotion in his voice.

"You asshole!"

Saitama chuckled slightly as he paid for the tickets.

"The kid gets a discount, right?" Saitama asked the guy tending the ticket booth.

"Of course, sir! How old is she?"

This time, Tatsumaki clenched her fists and brashly swung her them at the bald hero.

"Shut up, jerk! I'm not a kid! I'm an adult and I am fully capable of paying for a ticket at a stupid amusement park!" she exclaimed and shoved money on his chest. Slightly unsure, he took the cash and realized that it was enough to pay for both of them.

"Are you going to pay for me too?" he asked flatly. Without a second to waste, she answered.

"Yeah, whatever!" Tatsumaki replied out of rage.

"Cool. Thanks." Saitama said as he turned back to the ticket booth. "Two tickets please."

Saitama then gave her a ticket, which Tatsumaki took with a huff. The two then entered the park.

As expected, the amusement park wasn't filled with people, since it was a weekday. Though a lot of kids were roaming around, wearing PE uniform from a certain school.

' _There must be a fieldtrip or something._ ' Saitama thought as he looked around. He then glanced at his companion, who was busy staring at two young girls holding hands and following the crowd of students. They were probably siblings, he thought.

"You alright, Tats?" he asked, breaking the esper from her concentration. She abruptly looked up at him, surprised, and then stared at the opposite direction.

"Yeah." she replied. "What the hell is your agenda here anyway?"

Saitama stared at her, having second thoughts if he should tell her the truth or not. In all honesty, he decided to take her to a place where a lot of people would hang out with their families or close friends, and the closest thing he thought of was this place. Somehow, he wanted to show her that. He wasn't exactly sure why.

"I figured that you might wanted to unwind or something." he replied as he placed his hands in his hoodies' pockets. Tatsumaki stared at him blankly, not knowing what to reply.

"Whatever." she mumbled, still her arms crossed.

* * *

Whenever Saitama asked Tatsumaki what ride she wanted to try, she would only shrug her shoulders and tell him that "anything's fine". As a result, he would pick the rides that were extreme. Of course he'd ask if a certain ride is okay with her, and she would just nod. During the duration of the whole ride, she retained her poker face, not even affected with anything. It's probably because she was used to flying. This went on in all the rides they tried out.

"You don't enjoy these kind of things, huh?" Saitama said as they got out from a roller coaster ride. The small esper glanced at him, slightly surprised.

"Huh? It's not that I don't enjoy it. I just don't feel the thrill. I'm used to flying and dropping down from planes and all." she replied.

' _Dropping down from planes?_ ' Saitama thought to himself, but decided to put it aside.

"We did rode every ride now. Except for the kids' rides and the Ferris wheel. But it isn't really my ride, so you wanna go home?" he offered, realizing that the whole thing was pointless.

"Ferris wheel?" Tatsumaki asked, not glancing at him. That got her attention, he thought.

"…do you want to ride it?"

"Kinda. It's slow paced, so I don't really know how it feels."

"Let's give it a go." Saitama said, walking towards the direction of the said ride. Tatsumaki followed behind. The line was a bit long and almost all of the people in line were… well couples.

Tatsumaki peeked at the line and noticed the abundance of couples, so she stared up at Saitama, who is seemingly unaware of it all. She figured that he was the type who doesn't care literally about anything, so she just left it at that.

It was tedious waiting in line, and Tatsumaki isn't really patient.

"I could just flick all of these dumb couples out of the way." she muttered that was loud enough for Saitama to hear.

"That's not really something a hero would say." Saitama said, but he himself was slightly guilty of this. Especially during bargain days. Though he would only think of it. After hearing his remark, Tatsumaki simply rolled her eyes.

After a few more minutes of waiting, it was finally their turn. As they were about to enter cabin, screams from a distance are heard. This instantly caught the attention of the two heroes. Instead of getting on the cabin, the two looked back and saw that people were running away. Slowly, a dark figure emerged and revealed a thin, disfigured clown holding a bat with nails disorderly pinned on it. It laughed menacingly and held a female student on her collar with its free hand.

"Would any hero still dare attack me, Popo the Clown?!" the monster exclaimed. Apparently, a bunch of A-class and B-class heroes already tried to stop the clown's rampage. But to no avail, all failed. Behind the clown was a trail of fallen and beaten up heroes.

By instinct, Tatsumaki glowed green, but then Saitama's words rang in her head.

" _Don't use your powers for a whole damn week. What the hell should I do?!"_

Before she could even think of what to do, she realized that Saitama was no longer beside her and was already walking towards the clown.

"Is he insane?! There's a hostage at hand!" she muttered as she ran towards him. "Hey!"

Saitama didn't hear Tatsumaki, as he still kept on walking. He stopped when he was a few meters away from the monster.

"Release the kid, man." Saitama said.

"Oh? Hohoho! Another hero, I presume?" With a blink of an eye, the clown swung his bat aiming at the bald hero. Tatsumaki almost used her power, when she realized that Saitama blocked the bat with his hand. The clown was surprised that it didn't have any effect on the hero.

"Not cool, dude. Children will be scarred for life, you know." he said, his façade suddenly became serious. Tatsumaki found herself unable to move.

The clown smirked and then grabbed the kid by her neck using his arm and aimed a knife on her neck. The young girl was already crying for help as she helplessly clung on the monster's arm. Saitama flinched slightly and crossed his eyebrows.

"Tatsumaki, just this once, please manipulate the clown's movements." he muttered silently but still clear enough for her to hear. Tatsumaki reluctantly agreed. She wasn't used to getting orders from other people, especially from an A-class like Saitama.

"Just this once." Tatsumaki muttered under her breath as she raised her finger and pointed it at the clown. As expected, he flinched and got confused.

"Huh? What the hell?" the clown said as he struggled to move. Tatsumaki's fingers slightly shook, but she managed to restrain the monster by adding a little more of her concentration.

"You okay Tats?" she heard Saitama ask.

"Like hell I wouldn't be" Tatsumaki replied brashly.

"Saya-chan!" a girl's voice came from behind them, making Tatsumaki turned her head slightly behind. It was another kid running towards them and then stopped a few meters away from them.

"O-onee-chan…" the young girl being held by the clown mumbled helplessly. Out of nowhere, a whole lot of emotions opened within Tatsumaki. When she stared back at the clown, all she could see was a young Fubuki crying feebly at the monster's mercy.

"Let… her… go." she muttered angrily, making Saitama glance at her.

"Tatsumaki?" he muttered.

"Let the kid go, you ugly, miserable fuck!" she screamed as she glowed green and floated upwards and manipulated the clown's movements. Because of her sudden movement, the knife was about to hit the girl but within a second, Saitama was able to shield her. But in return, the knife stabbed the bald hero. Tatsumaki flinched and then came to her senses as she floated back down and lifted the clown up in the air before throwing him back down with an immense amount of force that he was dug deep on the ground.

"Saita- " Tatsumaki placed her attention on him when she realized that the stab had no effect on Saitama. At all.

The young girl was still in his arms when he pulled the knife from his back and dropped it on the ground, meters away from the clown.

"What happened Tats? The kid almost got stabbed." Saitama said. His voice nor his facial expression didn't show any emotions.

Tatsumaki released a breath she didn't realize she was holding as she knelt on her knees, exhausted. She exerted a lot of her powers on this one, even though she shouldn't be.

"Saya-chan! I'm sorry for letting you out of my sight!" The older girl said as she ran towards her sister and hugged her tight. The younger girl, Saya, was released from Saitama's hold as she hugged her sister back.

"Onee-chan… I was so scared…" the kid mumbled. The older girl looked up at Saitama and grinned.

"Thank you very much, hero-san! Thank you!" Saitama smiled slightly as he patted the girl's head.

"I'm only doing my job as a hero." he said before turning his attention back at Tatsumaki.

"You okay?" he asked and extended a hand towards her. She stared at it but didn't accepted his help.

"Yeah." she replied and stood up by herself.

Saitama wanted to ask her what happened, but decided to ask her some other time. He realized that the two siblings somehow got to her and asking her questions now might trigger something.

"A hell of a day huh? Wanna grab some udon?" he offered as she shook her head in reply.

"I'm not hungry. I'll just go home."

"Want me to come with you or-"

"I told you, you can stop watching over me now! I can take care of myself and I am assuring you that I won't use my powers for the remaining days of the week!" Tatsumaki said as she looked up at him angrily. Saitama blinked and then knocked her head lightly.

"You're crying again." he muttered as he placed his hands in his pockets. Tatsumaki's eyes widened as she looked down and rashly rubbed her eyes to wipe her tears away.

"I'm just tired." she mumbled. As silence dawned on them, she suddenly remembered the bald hero's injury.

"You got stabbed didn't you? You should stop by a hospital or something."

"Oh yeah, right. Almost forgot." he replied as he tried to take a good look on his stab. Tatsumaki almost found it weird that it didn't affect him at all. As they were about to walk away, they heard grumbling from behind them.

"Oi… you think you can get rid of me that easily…?" the clown muttered menacingly as he slowly got out of the whole, glaring at the two heroes. His eyes were as red as blood. In an instant, Saitama was in front of the two kids.

"Tatsumaki, get these kids to safety." he muttered.

"You don't need to tell me." she replied. As she was about lift the two using her powers, the clown jumped so quickly from his location and in front of Tatsumaki. He tried to scratch the small esper using his claws, but she was able to dodge his attack.

"Tats-!"

"I'm fine! Catch the kids!" Tatsumaki said as she floated the two girls towards Saitama and dropping them on him. He caught the girls on time.

"I've always hated clowns." Tatsumaki muttered as she restrained the monster's moves. Much to her surprise, the clown was fairly strong as he managed to struggle in her hold.

" _This monster… is surprisingly strong."_ she thought as she remembered the Monsters' Association. Her concentration slightly breaking, the clown was able to move and grab hold of her neck.

"Argh!" Tatsumaki lied flat on the ground as the clown attempted to strangle her. She was able to control the clown's pressure on her neck using her powers but she realized that she was too shaken to actually throw him off.

"Fu…ck… off…" she muttered. As she was about to double her concentration, the clown suddenly vanished from her sight.

"Wha?"

As she sat up, she saw Saitama had already killed the monster. Apparently, with a single punch.

" _A monster that strong… and he got killed just by a single punch?_ " Tatsumaki thought as she stared at Saitama in disbelief.

"You okay Tats?" he asked again. That was probably the third time he asked her that question today. She looked up at him, still in shock.

"…what are you?" she asked.

Saitama was slightly confused by her question. He scratched the back of his neck, trying to think of an answer. Instead, he lent a hand in front of her again.

"I'm just a hero for fun." he said. Tatsumaki continued to stare at Saitama. It felt like déjà vu.

Still reluctant, she took his hand as he helped her stand up.

* * *

 **Sorry for the short chapter and all the angst huhuhuhu I swear I'll turn things around and insert some good ol' comedy in the next chapter. Though it may be uploaded a bit late since I'm still thinking of a good plot for the next chapter lmao**

 **Anyways, suggestions are highly recommended!**

 **See you guys in the next chapter~!**


	8. Chapter 7: Friends

***edited***

 **OMFG YOU GUYS I MADE THIS DUMB MISTAKE HAHAHAAHAHAHA.**

 **Instead of Mumen Rider I wrote Kamen Rider. My freaking gad. I AM ABSOLUTELY SORRY ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHO READ IT FIRST XD ; v ; **

***end***

 **OLA EVERYONE!**

 **So I decided to post this one early because I'm going out of the country and might not be able to post anything for a few weeks or months ; v ;**

 **It's also a bit longer and as usual, I didn't proof-read it /slapped/. I'M SORRY OKAY IT'S LIKE 3 AM HERE. HUHUHUHU**

 **I'll edit it as soon as I re-read it XD and please point out if there are any mistakes/typos you find XD**

 **Hope you enjoy this chapter~**

* * *

Tatsumaki sat down on one of the benches as she waited for Saitama to exit the room where his wound was being treated. Surprisingly, just after a few minutes, he walked out of the room with a huge frown. The esper found this peculiar, so she decided to ask Saitama what happened.

"What's up with you?" she asked with an eyebrow arched. With a gloomy voice, Saitama replied.

"My hoodie… got a hole on it, thanks to that weirdo clown." he muttered. Still confused, Tatsumaki crossed her arms.

"Aren't you even worried about your wound?"

"Turns out, I don't have one. The knife got stuck on my hoodie and not on my back. It explains the hole." the bald hero replied.

"What the hell!? But I clearly saw that he stabbed you! The knife literally went through!"

"Well, it didn't." Saitama answered flatly, though Tatsumaki obviously wasn't satisfied with his response. It was just plain weird; he knocked the monster-clown down with a single punch and the knife that was supposed to stab his back didn't even penetrate his skin. Well, she didn't really see any blood but it wasn't the case. What in the world is he? He possessed powers worthy of an S-class, she thought. Saitama noticed that she was staring at him as if he did something wrong.

"Is there something on my face?" he asked. Tatsumaki simply shook her head.

"No, it's… nothing."

Saitama stared at her before shrugging.

"Okay."

Maybe he just wasn't used to it, but not hearing any insults and curse words escape from the esper's mouth was awfully weird. Ever since they got to the hospital, she had been quiet most of the time. She would only talk if she had questions or when someone talked to her. A random thought crept up his mind as he tried to process what was happening. Tatsumaki might've been worried about his "wound".

Nah, scratch that. There's no way in hell she'd worry for him. She practically hates him.

At least that's what Saitama thinks.

On the other hand, Tatsumaki felt a gust of relief knowing that the bald hero wasn't wounded at all. It slightly pissed her off, but she is now aware that Caped Baldy was no ordinary hero. It might be hard to admit on her part, but she can't really deny it now. She glanced back up at him, his face showing no expression as usual.

" _How the hell did he get so strong?"_ she asked herself mentally.

After checking out of the hospital, Saitama placed his hands in his pockets as he looked up at the sky.

"Man, it's already dark huh? King and Rider must be waiting for me already." he muttered.

"What?" Tatsumaki asked.

"Ah, the three of us get together at this udon place during this time of the week. Wanna come with us?" Saitama asked casually. Tatsumaki was a bit surprised from the hero's invitation. Since it was just dinner with a couple of heroes, it might not be that bad. There's nothing better to do back at her apartment anyway, she thought.

"Fine." she muttered as the two walked away from the hospital.

* * *

Tatsumaki found herself sitting across King and Mumen Rider in some udon place that Saitama invited her. It was quite a shock to her that he would be friends with a C-class but she figured that Saitama was the type of man who couldn't really care less about rankings. It felt slightly awkward since she wasn't too acquainted with King. And this was her first time meeting Mumen Rider. She realized that she could only talk to Saitama.

"Where are we again?" she asked, trying not to sound meek.

"Ah, this is a great udon place. Every this time of the week, they have a special price on yakiniku. Plus they added the happy hour promo so, free beers all around." Saitama said with a grin. Moments ago he was feeling down because of his jacket but somehow, when it came to food or anything related with a promo, the bald hero perked up in an instant. Weird, Tatsumaki thought.

"Ah right, you can't handle your alcohol well huh? We wouldn't want you dismembering someone, right King?" Saitama joked as he glanced at the said Hero.

"Hn." King replied, his voice sounding like a deep grunt. Though deep inside, he was trying to hold in his laughter.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Tatsumaki said, her face slightly red from embarrassment. How could she forget that one, drunken night of hers? On the other hand, Saitama found this amusing. He was still unaware that he was the cause of her being drunk that night.

"Right, right. I'll just let you have apple or orange juice."

"Fuck. No." Tatsumaki grimly muttered as she crossed her arms and glared up at the smirking hero.

"I got careless last time. This time, I assure you that I can handle just as much as you can, baldy!" she said. Tatsumaki was certain that she's lightweight but she can't show it now. Especially not to the arrogant baldhead who taunted her. Nuh-uh. There is no way she'd back down.

"Okay." Saitama replied with a slight smile as he started to take a look at the menu.

"You good with the all-meat grill, Rider?" Saitama asked, not taking his attention off the menu.

"Yep. But I'll be ordering some mushrooms as well." Mumen Rider replied, also reading from the menu.

"How about you, Tats?" Saitama asked the esper as he glanced slightly at her. Tatsumaki wasn't used to eating at places like this since this is usually where co-workers and friends spend their get-togethers. She simply shrugged and fiddled with her chopsticks.

"Whatever you order, I guess." she muttered. Saitama stared at her, realizing that she's new to the place. He kinda felt bad to inviting her, but it was probably a good exposure for her, he concluded.

Saitama stood up and went to the counter to order. Tatsumaki realized that she was suddenly alone with people she barely knew. She's used to it, mainly because of Associations' meetings, but never outside of work. Striking up a conversation isn't exactly her forte.

"Tatsumaki-san, it's kind of a surprise to see you here. With Saitama." King said, as monotonous as ever. Though he was always present at meetings, the esper isn't really used to conversing with him. It surprised her a bit that King suddenly started talking to her.

"Yeah, Tatsumaki-san! To be honest, it's really an honor that you're joining us. You're a very strong and respectable hero!" Mumen Rider said, the sincerity obvious in his voice.

This time, Tatsumaki was pretty certain that she doesn't know what the hell to do.

"It's not a big deal." she muttered as a reply. Mumen Rider smiled at her politely.

"And you're really modest too!" the masked rider said. Tatsumaki was used to getting praises and compliments, but it's usually from her fans and other civilians, not with co-workers or acquaintances. As a reply, she could only nod.

Before she knew it, King and Mumen Rider began to converse with their own topics. Tatsumaki could only stare at the restaurant and observe the whole place. It was quite small, but a lot of people were eating in the place. Probably because of the promo. The whole room was pretty noisy, mainly because all the customers are co-workers having their dinner before going home. Tatsumaki then realized she wasn't used to crowded places like this.

"Yo Tats, you sure you're okay here?" Tatsumaki was slightly caught off-guard as Saitama sat beside her. Regaining her composure, she crossed her arms and huffed.

"It's better than being stuck in my apartment." she muttered.

"Good to hear." Saitama replied as he raised his hand and ask for beer.

"That would be... huh, you sure you wanna drink Tats? They also have apple juice, you know."

"What the—I'm sure I can handle my alcohol this time, you bald jerk!" Tatsumaki said, her face slightly red in embarrassment. King and Mumen Rider slightly chuckled at her reaction.

"Right, right. So uh, that would be four glasses please." Saitama said. After a few seconds, the waiter served them their beverages. Not long after, their food also arrived.

"Maaaan. After a long day, this is absolutely a taste of heaven." Saitama said, a grin on his face as he dug in. King and Mumen Rider did the same. Suddenly becoming aware of his guest, Saitama placed various food on Tatsumaki's place. Tatsumaki was slightly surprised as she looked up at him.

"Try those. They're really, really good. It goes well with beer." he said as he continued eating.

Tatsumaki blinked before slowly eating her portion of the food.

"… _maybe having friends is not so bad, huh?"_ she thought to herself. _"Are we friends?"_

Tatsumaki then shook her head. She admits that for the past few days, she's becoming more and more open to the bald hero. It absolutely felt odd, but she can't deny that she likes it. Having a "friend", that is.

" _After all those things I did to him, I don't think he'd want to be friends with me."_ Tatsumaki thought as she drank a large gulp of beer from her glass, wanting to shake the thoughts off her head.

* * *

"I'm so damn strong! I'm the strongest hero! Besides Blast, that is~" Tatsumaki said, her voice sounding slightly muffled and high-pitched, her cheeks flushed in red. She was swaying slowly sideways and Saitama couldn't help but snicker at her behavior. She only had 3 glasses of beer, and this was the result.

"Is it just me or is your head shinier than usual?" Tatsumaki wondered out loud as she tried to reach for Saitama's head to pat it. To no avail, she didn't reach his head, much to King's amusement.

"Maybe we shouldn't have let her drink, huh?" Mumen Rider said as he stared at her with concern.

"Nah. She needed to breathe anyway." Saitama said as he drank from his glass of beer. Tatsumaki drank a big gulp from her glass, her face getting redder. She slammed her glass on the table and raised her hand with enthusiasm.

"ONE MORE!" she exclaimed with a huge grin as Mumen Rider handed her a glass, which she took without a second to waste.

"You do realize that you'll be the one taking her home, Saitama-bro." King nonchalantly said. Saitama froze from his heat. Damn, he forgot about that part.

"Oh crap. You're right." Saitama muttered. He's the one who invited her, so it was definitely his responsibility. King stifled in a chuckle, mentally saying to himself that this was all like a typical dating sim game. Saitama was going deeper and deeper through this tsundere route.

As Tatsumaki finished her fifth glass of beer, she grabbed the lone glass filled with the beverage on their table and was about to drink it. Saitama then grabbed it from her hand, making the esper pout in disappointment.

"Whu' da hell? I'm still drinking that!" Tatsumaki whined as she crossed her arms.

"This is King's." Saitama said as he placed the glass farther away from her. King and Mumen Rider continued to have a conversation on their own, but the two arguing heroes were pretty difficult to ignore. Instead, the two tried to suppress their laughter in.

"So fucking what? Jes' give me another glass damn it!" she whined even more, trying to reach for the beer. Unfortunately for her, the bald hero blocked her path.

"Yeah, I think that's enough alcohol for tonight." Saitama said as he stood up.

"Whaaaaaat? Buzzkill much." The small esper said as Saitama helped her stand up. "Geez, I can stand up myself, you egghead!"

"Do you need some help, Saitama?" Mumen Rider asked.

"I can handle it. Besides, she's pretty much still my responsibility." he replied as he grabbed the esper's coat.

"I'll go on ahead. See ya guys." Saitama waved a hand at King and Mumen Rider.

"I hope they'll be okay." Mumen Rider said as he took a sip of his beer.

"Of course they'll be. This is all part of the route." King calmly replied.

* * *

After sluggishly wearing her trench coat on, Saitama and Tatsumaki left the udon place. Tatsumaki was unusually quiet but she wobbled as she walked. This caught Saitama's attention.

"Hey, how are you holding up?" he asked.

"Fine! I'm feeling so fine!" she replied, her voice still unusually high.

They continued to walk through the streets since the apartment area was a couple of streets away from the path leading to the Association's apartment area. Maybe if he didn't strike a conversation with her, their journey home would be alright.

…that is until Tatsumaki began swaying sideways again as she walked. This time, Satiama knew that she could collapse anytime now.

And he was right.

As she leaned backwards, Saitama instantly caught her. Tatsumaki was conscious but her eyes were half-opened. The bald hero could feel the regret of making her drink. Leaving him with no choice, he picked her up in his arms and continued to walk towards their destination. Tatsumaki groaned as she wiggled her legs slowly, as if she was still walking.

"I can walk just fine, see?" she muttered like a little kid. Saitama held his laughter in.

"Yeah, sure."

"Hey."

"Yeah?"

There was a small pause as Saitama kept on walking, waiting for Tatsumaki to speak.

"Are we friends?" she asked, her voice sounding flat, but also slightly cracking.

"Well to me, I consider you my friend. It's just you that kept on saying that you aren't." Saitama answered. Somehow, he found this side of hers unusual. It wasn't a bad thing, but he sure isn't used to it.

"So we're friends?" Tatsumaki asked once more as she stopped wiggling her legs.

"Yeah." he answered.

As a reaction, Tatsumaki _chuckled_ , making Saitama look down on her. She was still beet red but she had a small smile on her face. It was definitely weird to see the arrogant esper like this that it made Saitama want to drop her on the ground like she was a hot potato. It was like he was suddenly aware that this powerful esper is a woman who is 28 years of age who has a hard time making friends.

He probably won't take her out to drink again.

* * *

Tatsumaki woke up with a massive headache as she sat up from her bed.

10:43 am.

She was slightly surprised that her alarm didn't wake her up. What the hell happened last night? She thought as she rubbed her head. Then, she suddenly remembered. She was with Saitama, King and… some hero with a mask at a restaurant. She vaguely remembers grilled meat and…

Beer.

"Don't tell me I got drunk again?!" she muttered to herself, partly embarrassed and pissed at herself.

She looked around to see if there was anything unusual in her house. Besides wearing the same clothes she wore yesterday, everything seemed the way it was, except for the glass of water on her bedside table. She doesn't usually place a glass of water near her bed, but it was odd that it was sitting there.

And then it hit her.

She was so drunk last night that Saitama had to carry her back to her apartment.

She sunk back to her bed with her hands covering her face, which was already flushed with crimson.

"I am never going to fucking drink again." she muttered angrily to herself.

After a few more minutes of sulking, Tatsumaki got up and went to her bathroom. Afrer finishing her usual morning routine, she turned her T.V on.

"-amusement park was a monster-like clown who, according to the association, was a Dragon-level threat. A few heroes who happen to pass by City A tried to subdue the monster. Unfortunately, most of them were unsuccessful. Fortunately though, S-class hero Senritsu no Tatsumaki was around the city and was able to defeat the clown. It is safe to assume that the city is-"

Tatsumaki turned her television off.

"It wasn't me…" she muttered to herself as she sat down on her couch.

"How could they not know… that it wasn't me who finished off that monster…?"

Without a second to waste, she picked up her phone and called the Association. It rang a few times before a familiar voice answered.

"Ah, Tatsumaki-san-"

"Caped Baldy was the one who defeated the creepy clown! Not me!" Tatsumaki said, not even waiting for Sitch to finish his greeting. On the other end of the line, the older man was completely baffled.

"According to eye witnesses, they saw _you_ defeat the monster." he replied, but this only made the esper even more agitated.

"What the hell? Are they freaking blind?! It was obviously him who defeated it!" Tatsumaki then realized that the only witnesses who were present at that time were the two children. All the other civilians that saw her in the park prior to the clown's attack probably assumed that she was the one who defeated the monster.

"Tatsumaki-san? Are you still there?" Sitch asked.

"Then as a witness, I'm sure as hell that it was Caped Baldy who defeated the clown. Not me."

There was silence between the two of them until Sitch spoke.

"I'm sorry, but it might be too late to inform the media now. All the news channels broadcasted the story. And to be quite honest, it would be more credible if you were the one who defeated the dragon-level monster, instead of him who is an A-class." he said. Tatsumaki felt all her blood rise to her head, her headache getting even worse.

"What is with that crappy reasoning!? I refuse to take credit!" she yelled at the phone before ending the call and hurriedly leaving her apartment to go to a certain baldy's home.

* * *

Tatsumaki pounded her fist on Saitama's apartment door. She heard him say something, but she couldn't quite hear it. After a few seconds, the door opened to reveal the bald hero, wearing a black shirt and his cargo shorts.

"I really meant to go by your place today, but you said yesterday that you don't-"

"The media got it all wrong! You were the one who defeated that weird-ass clown! Not me!" Tatsumaki exclaimed, half furious and half-flustered. Saitama blinked and muttered an 'oh'. Much to her surprise, it seemed that Saitama wasn't even bothered by it.

"The media isn't always reliable." he simply replied. The esper clenched her fists tightly. How could he not care? He is being ignored for his good deeds. She's aware that he has greater powers welling inside him, but she found it weird that he didn't mind the media's mistake. The Association even said that the clown was a Dragon-level threat yet this bald hero took him out as if it was a Tiger-level.

"Don't you want to move your rank to the S-class?" Tatsumaki asked, her voice sounding serious. Saitama stared at her, thinking of an answer.

"I told you before, haven't I? Ranks don't matter. I'm a hero, and whatever class I'm in it's my duty to protect innocent civilians and fight bad guys." he replied.

Tatsumaki stared at him. Blast suddenly came to her mind. It was as if she was talking to the S-class hero himself. With a sigh she crossed her arms and eased a bit.

"Then why did you decide to become a hero?" she asked. Saitama again paused as he thought of an answer. It was a long time ago already, but he can still remember the day he saved a kid with an oddly large chin from a Crab-like monster.

"Honestly, it's my childhood dream to become a hero." he answered blankly.

"What? Are you being serious right now?" Tatsumaki said. She felt like he was still joking with her.

"I am being serious. Ever since I was a kid I was really weak. And a lot of weaker guys were being taken advantage of and somehow, I can't stand the sight of it. So I realized that I have to be strong enough to stop those who look down on other people. You could say that those are my principles but yeah. That's how I view life." Saitama answered, hoping that it would satisfy Tatsumaki. He is getting tired of talking. On the other hand, Tatsumaki simply stared at the bald hero. His reason to become a hero is pretty generic, but also righteous in the very least. He didn't have big ambitions like fame, money and glory. All he wanted was to really help.

"How about you?" Tatsumaki snapped away from her thoughts when she heard Saitama's voice. She looked up at him and was every bit hesitant to tell him her real reason on why she decided to be a hero.

"…because of Blast." she muttered. Saitama let out a small "ooh", mentally noting to himself that his hunch was right.

"Is he like your mentor or something?"

"No. He… saved me. From something that I had no control over."

 _Lies. You had the power to crush that monster. You were just too scared at actually use it._

"Oh. From… when you were a kid, I guess?"

"Yeah. It was a long time ago. I don't remember much."

 _Lies again. You remember it as if it was yesterday._

"It's not nice to lie, you know."

"…huh?" Tatsumaki's mind stopped as she looked up at him abruptly.

"I don't mean to pry, but you can't really forget such an important event from your life. It made you decide to become a hero right? It must be a very important memory."

 _There he goes again, spouting shit as if he knows me so well._

…

 _But's he right._

Tatsumaki clenched her fist as she walked a step forward towards Saitama and then pounded the side of her fist on his abdomen. Saitama was a bit confused on what she was doing but nonetheless, he stayed still.

"…why the hell are you right all the time, you fucking asshole?" she muttered flatly. The bald hero stared at her, realizing he that might've broke her walls. Not everything, but some of it at the very least. He didn't realize that he'd learn half of Tatsumaki's past but it's all good. She was just lonely all along.

With a small smile, Saitama patted her head softly. He wasn't able to give her an answer, but it was probably enough for Tatsumaki.

* * *

 **I tried to be funny. I can't. *nervous laughing** *****

 **Anyways, the story might come to an end now, since our little esper is slowly warming up to our favorite bald hero but hey, I'm still open to suggestions, dudes! Really, anything to make the story longer!**

 **But I'll probably just make a sequel I dunno hahahaha.**

 **See ya'll laturs.**


	9. Chapter 8: It's a Matter of Perception

**Hey ya'll I'm back just for a bit.**

 **This one's a really short chapter to tell you guys that this isn't on hiatus nor is it dropped. I'm just really busy with my internship huhuhu**

 **And for this update, I just wrote a really chill SaiTatsu thingamajig for the next arc of our story: Tatsumaki's newfound feelings and Saitama's density lmao**

 **Thanks to your suggestions, I thought of something to help make the story longer mehehehehe but I still need dem suggestion so it would be great if you could share your thoughts with me~!**

 **Anyways, I'm not proud with this chapter cuz it's too short ; v ; I'm really sorry. Also, like the lazy-ass bitch I am, I didn't proofread again. So if made any mistakes, please point them out for me.**

 **Still, please enjoy this chapter~**

* * *

"Hey, since you were the one who paid for the amusement park yesterday, I kinda want to make it up to you. Where do you wanna go?" Saitama suddenly said, breaking the silence between him and the petite esper as the two walked along the corridor leading to Tatsumaki's apartment.

"What?" Tatsumaki asked, bewildered and slightly surprised.

"I mean, if you don't want to stay in your apartment all day, we could go to a place where you want to go. For the past few days, I'm the one dragging you to all sorts of places. I kinda feel bad." the bald hero said casually. On the other hand, Tatsumaki was looking… well, quite red. She wasn't expecting him to say something like this.

" _I guess friends usually do this kind of things, huh?_ " Tatsumaki thought as she slightly glanced at the bald hero, who was still waiting for her response.

"But if you don't want to, then it's totally-"

"A café. Near the supermarket that you went to yesterday." she replied hastily, still feeling somewhat flustered. Saitama blinked as he tried to remember if he saw a café near the supermarket. He scratched his head, realizing that he doesn't remember seeing any café at all.

"Sure. Lead the way then." he said, extending his arm for Tatsumaki. With a small huff, she walked ahead.

* * *

Saitama stood in front of the glass window of the café, slightly having second thoughts if what he did was a good idea. The reason he didn't notice café in the first place was because of the prices of the establishment. He can't even afford a single cup of coffee at this place, he thought gingerly.

"Oh. This café." he muttered.

Tatsumaki glanced up at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Let's go in." she said and entered the café while Saitama followed. After finding a table for the two of them, Tatsumaki instantly grabbed the menu card and browsed for cakes. Saitama hesitated as he picked the menu card up. He almost choked seeing the prices on the menu.

"350 yen for a cup of coffee? This is a rip-off!" Saitama said out loud, making the esper stare at him like he was crazy. She almost forgot how frugal this man was.

"It's normal for cafés, you dimwit." she stuttered. "And keep your freaking voice down!"

"Sorry…"

Tatsumaki rolled her eyes as she kept on browsing. When she found a cake that she fancies, she glanced up at Saitama, who seemed to have a hard time choosing.

"I'll have the strawberry shortcake, an éclair and a cappuccino." she said, making the bald hero look away from the menu.

"Strawberry shortca—THIS COSTS 650 YEN PER SLICE!" he exclaimed, and then suddenly realizing that they were in public, he muttered a few apologies.

"What is this cake made of anyway? These are just eggs, flour cream, and strawberries, right? Why is it so damn expensive?"

With a sigh, Tatsumaki placed the menu card down and tried to collect herself.

"Look, I can pay whatever we eat today. You were the one who paid for everything back at that udon place, right?" she said. Saitama scratched his head awkwardly. He really did felt bad when she paid for the amusement park. Tickets are pretty expensive.

"I'll pay you back once I get my next paycheck." he said seriously.

"I said I can pay, okay!? Now choose something from the menu so that I can eat cake!" Tatsumaki said, half irritated and half flustered.

"Fine, fine. I'll just have some oolong tea and maybe a chocolate cake." he said as he placed the menu down. Calming down a bit, Tatsumaki leaned in her chair and raised a hand up to call the waitress' attention.

As Tatsumaki cited their orders, Saitama sighed. She just treated him again, he thought.

"I'm sorry for being… well, financially unstable. I swear if I save enough money, I'll treat you." he said in compensation, only to earn a raised eyebrow from the esper.

"Are you stupid? This is what friends do, right? Stop acting like you have to pay me back. It's not a big deal." she said as she crossed her arms. Saitama's eyes widened slightly, but it wasn't too obvious.

"Well, money has always been a huge deal for me. So… thanks. You're pretty nice." he said with a small smile. Hearing him praise her like that somehow flustered her as she felt her whole face getting hotter.

"…yeah whatever." she muttered.

After waiting for a few minutes, their orders arrived. For a second, Tatsumaki's eyes lit with delight as she saw her cake and éclair. Then she suddenly realized that she was with someone as she quickly cleared her throat and reverted back to her usual self.

"You really love cakes, huh."

"Sh-shut up." she muttered as she took a bite from her cake. She did her best to not react in a very childish manner.

"Wow, this is actually really good." Saitama said as he ate his cake.

"See? It's worth the pay."

"Eh. I still think it's expensive."

"Just eat for god's sake."

Seeing Saitama eat in humble silence with his facial expression changing with every bite, Tatsumaki couldn't help but smile slightly. Her smile was so small that she didn't even notice it herself.

" _I guess I could get used to having friends."_ she thought as she continued to eat.

* * *

"Woah, isn't that the S-class hero, Senritsu no Tatsumaki? I rarely see her outside and… she's with someone?" a random man said through his phone.

"Yeah, this is quite a scoop. The person she's with… is a hero, I guess? I've seen that bald head before, but I have no clue what his hero name and rank are." The man paused his talking, as he listened to the caller from the other end of the phone.

"Yeah, she's with a bald man. Probably 23-25 of age. Oh, so he's a hero too? An A-class? Are you serious? Since when was Senritsu no Tatsumaki hanging out with the lower classes? She wouldn't even cooperate with other S-class heroes." he paused once more as he nodded his head, agreeing to whatever the other caller was saying.

"Okay, okay. I'll take some photos and send it to the office by 4 pm. Alright bye." placing his phone back in his pocket, he grabbed his camera and took a shot.

* * *

Tatsumaki glanced outside the café, feeling as if someone was watching her. She looked around for a bit before deciding to ignore the feeling. It was probably just some civilians, she thought as she sipped her cappuccino. Her companion noticed her sudden uneasiness, as he glanced at her.

"Something wrong, Tats?" he asked nonchalantly, making the esper snap out of her thoughts

"I just… no, it's nothing." she said, sipping even more coffee. Deciding to just shrug it off, Saitama nodded.

A huge wave of silence then dawned on them.

Tatsumaki was used to it, but now that they were friends, sitting completely still without conversing in a café with a friend is definitely weird.

' _What the hell so friends talk about anyway?"_ she asked herself mentally. ' _Fubuki would probably know what to do.'_

"Do you come here often?" Saitama asked out of nowhere. His question slightly startled Tatsumaki.

"If I have free time, yes I do." she replied.

"I like their cakes." she added, trying to make the conversation longer. Saitama only nodded at her answer. He wasn't a fan of cakes, but he doesn't hate them either.

"You like sweets in general, don't you?" he concluded. As Tatsumaki was about to agree, she closed her mouth. If she admits that she likes-no, love sweets, Saitama would get the impression that she's just like a kid.

"It's not that I _like_ them. I just prefer them better than any other type of food." she muttered, trying to keep her cool.

"So you do like them." the bald hero concluded, only to receive a menacing glare from the esper.

"So what?! That does not make me a child!" Tatsumaki said in her defense. Saitama blinked at her, somehow confused.

"But I didn't say anything yet."

"I know you're thinking it, you asshole!"

Slightly amused, Saitama leaned in his seat.

"Cool, you can read minds too?" he said with small smile. Tatsumaki felt a vein pop in her head as she leaned on the table, wanting to punch Saitama's bald face like a bobble head.

"I can, but I didn't need to read yours to know what you're thinking. You're such a jerk." she said, leaning back in her chair. She wasn't in the mood to fight anyways. His interest caught, Saitama leaned closer towards her slightly.

"What am I thinking right now?" he asked casually. Somehow, this made the small esper really, _really_ flustered. Saitama wasn't that close to her, but his question made her thoughts jumble.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she exclaimed and motioned her hands forward, as if pushing something.

"He-hey!" Saitama snapped. "I haven't finished my tea yet!"

Tatsumaki was slightly surprised that she knocked over their table, but her companion remained seated in his chair, even though the direction of her hands was towards him.

"Oh man, you broke their china." she heard Saitama say, but she didn't focus much on his voice as she raised her hand up and asked for their bill. The waitress, who seemed unfazed with the scene in front of her gave her two bills.

"You had our bills separated?" Saitama asked as he eyes the two receipts.

"No. The first one is for the orders while the second one is for the damage." Tatsumaki replied as she got her credit card from her purse. The waitress accepted her card and went towards the cashier.

"It's like their already used to scenarios like this." he muttered, half-amazed and half-confused.

"I do have a record of breaking things, don't I?" she said as she crossed her arms. Saitama chuckled as he ruffled her head playfully.

"Yeah you do."

* * *

The next day in the Blizzard Group's HQ, Jigoku no Fubuki was reading the newspaper as she usually does to check if her group was credited for something or at least talked about. As she browsed section per section, she again saw a familiar green-haired esper. A sight she didn't really want to see, especially on the paper.

"What did my sister do this time? She recently just defeated a clown, right? Don't tell me she clobbered another-" Fubuki paused as she read further. What she read made her almost choke on her coffee.

"Fubuki-sama! Are you okay?!" a fellow member asked her as she lost composure.

"…I'm fine, I think." she muttered as her clenched hands shivered while holding the newspaper, crumpling the sides. The young man, who was slightly unsure of Fubuki's answer blinked. This made him slightly worry.

"Fubuki-sama…?"

"I… just… can't take… what's written on here…" she muttered under her breath.

"Is it about your big sister again?" he asked, to which Fubuki agreed to with a nod.

"Did she easily defeated another monster?"

"No… this is much, much worse than that."

"She got promoted as the Rank 1 S-class hero?"

"No…"

"T-then… what—"

Fubuki then released a breath she didn't realize she was holding in before answering.

"Onee-san is dating Saitama."

* * *

In Hero's Association HQ, Sitch was holding the daily paper as his eyes widened like saucers while reading a certain article.

"S-sir Sitch… is everything alright?" an employee asked him. Sitch didn't answer but instead, he simply put the paper down and faced his employee with a serious façade.

"Get me my phone. I need to call Senritsu no Tatsumaki." he said grimly.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Tatsumaki's apartment, the esper suddenly felt a weird chill go down her spine. She looked around, wondering if there was an intruder of some kind. Sensing nothing, she shrugged her shoulders and continued to read her book.

* * *

 **lol this one is too damn short I'm actually feeling guilty about posting this.**

 **SO THERE ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA**

 **I wanted to write more angsty shit but hey, comedy comes first. Comedy is bae.**

 **See ya'll laturs.**


	10. Chapter 9: Clearing a Misunderstanding

**Yo! I tried my best to write during my day-off's because I really wanted to keep writing this story! The next update might take some time since I'm still thinking on the next plot of the chapter. Suggestions would still be nice mehe.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

As Tatsumaki was savoring the remaining days of her break, her phone suddenly rang. Slightly annoyed, she placed her book down on her coffee table and picked up the gadget. She was slightly surprised to see Sitch calling her. Was she already needed by the Association? Is her break over? There were still 2 days left, right?

She answered, nonetheless.

"What is it?" she said as a greeting.

"Tatsumaki-san, can I confirm something from you?" Sitch, who sounded oddly calm, asked. Raising an eyebrow, the esper leaned on her couch, sensing that this conversation might be longer than usual.

"…I guess? Is there some kind of trouble going on?" she replied, confused.

"This morning, I read the morning paper and—" before the man could finish his sentence, Tatsumaki's doorbell rang continuously, as if someone wanted to bash her door open already.

"What the hell is going on?" Tatsumaki muttered as she stood up. "Hold on a moment, someone's at my door."

"But Tatsuma-"

Walking towards her door, she floated up to take a peek at the peephole. She was surprised to see Fubuki. Without a moment to waste, she opened her door.

"What brings you here, Fubuki?" she asked casually, her phone in hand. With her brows slightly furrowed, she went inside the apartment without a word. She was holding a messily rolled-up newspaper in her hand.

"Onee-san, I came here to confirm something with you…" the raven-haired esper said with arms crossed and her back facing Tatsumaki.

Now, the green-haired esper was even more confused. Do Fubuki and Sitch know something that she doesn't?

Closing her door, she looked up at her younger sister, curious about her question.

"Oddly enough, the Association asked the same thing to me just now." she said.

"That wouldn't be surprising at all! Have you read the paper?" Fubuki asked as she turned around to face her sister.

"Not yet… is there some weird article about me?! I swear if those are full of lies, it would be their last headline!" Tatsumaki said, and then suddenly realizing that Sitch was still on the other end of the line.

"Give me a sec," she muttered as she placed her phone back to her ear. "Are you still there?"

"Yes," Sitch muttered, slightly irritated. "Are there no more interruptions?"

"I can't promise you that." she replied nonchalantly.

"Anyhow, please do answer honestly. I want to confirm with you-"

"Onee-san! We're not done talking yet! Just listen for a second-"

"Tatsumaki-san, please, I need to confirm this right away-"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP FOR A DAMN MINUTE! I can't listen to you both at once!"

Fubuki stared at her sister, speechless.

"Sitch called first, so I'll talk to him now and then I'll get back to you." the green-haired esper said. In reply, Fubuki could only cross her arms in agitation.

"But this is important." she muttered. Tatsumaki placed her attention back to the man on the other end of the line.

"Shorten whatever it is you want to say. I'm pretty busy." she said, the irritation obvious in her voice. On the other hand, Fubuki rolled her eyes and began to unroll the newspaper that she was holding.

"Alright. Tatsumaki-san, is it true that-"

Before Sitch can finish his sentence, Fubuki flashed the paper in front of Tatsumaki, and she had no choice but to stare at the article in front of her.

"—Caped Baldy are in a relationship?" Sitch asked, though Tatsumaki's attention wasn't on him anymore.

SENRITSU NO TATSUMAKI AND A-CLASS HERO CAPED BALDY ARE DATING?!

Big, red letters flashed in front of her from the newspaper. And further into the article was a picture of her and Saitama in the café, with the bald hero patting her head. For a random bystander, it would indeed seem like a couple having their date.

Tatsumaki's small, clenched fists shivered as she stared at the headline, crunching her phone in the process. Her face was also getting redder and redder. Fubuki walked a few steps away from her sister fearing that she might burst at any moment.

"WHAT THE HELL?! WHO WROTE THIS?! I'LL CRUSH THE FUCKING JOURNALIST TO BITS THAT YOU'LL BARELY RECOGNIZE THEM AS HUMAN!" As expected, Tatsumaki screamed as she ripped the paper in two. Fubuki started to sweat profusely, not knowing how to calm her sister down.

"I-it-it's the Hero News Daily..." Fubuki said. Tatsumaki turned her head to face her sister, revealing a glare that could kill a hundred men.

"Let's pay them a visit, shall we?"

"Onee-chan… I don't think that's a good idea-"

"I'LL BURY THEIR STUPID COMPANY TO THE GROUND!"

In a hurry, Fubuki grabbed her phone and decided to call Saitama. Probably, he could calm Tatsumaki down again. The phone rang for a few seconds before the hero picked up.

"Listen here, if this is another salesman, I swear-"

"Saitama, it's Fubuki. I need your help. My sister is about to throw a rampage that might ruin the whole apartment building." the raven-haired esper said as she saw her sister slowly levitating from the ground and glowing green.

On the other end of the line, Saitama scratched the back of his neck.

"Gee, is it that bad? Okay, I'll be there in a sec." he replied before ending the call. On the other hand, Fubuki placed her phone back to her pocket as she glanced at her older sister. Literally just a second after Saitama called, the apartment's doorbell rang. Wondering who it was, Fubuki walked towards the door and opened it, revealing the bald hero she just called a second ago.

"S-Saitama?! You got here really fast."

"Well, I ran. And I did say I'll be here in a sec, right?" Saitama casually said, as if it wasn't weird at all. Realizing that there was even a more important matter at hand, Fubuki decided set this one aside and focus on her sister.

"Have you read the paper recently?" Fubuki asked Saitama, who in return shook his head.

"Nah. I forgot to check." he mumbled as he picked his nose. Fubuki wanted to hand him the paper, but unfortunately, it was already ripped to shreds.

"Well, the Hero News Daily just put up an article about you and my sister and… well, it kind of started a controversy." she said, thinking of another way to put her sentences together.

"What did it say?" the bald hero asked. Fubuki was silent for a few seconds. She took a deep breath and then stared at Saitama seriously.

"It said that you and onee-chan are dating."

Saitama blinked as he processed what Fubuki just said. He remained silent for a little while that it slightly worried Fubuki.

"Hey, are you-"

"Where's Tatsumaki?" Saitama asked, breaking his sudden silence. Fubuki blinked before answering.

"Ah, she's at the living room." Fubuki then realized that most of the furniture were shaking. "We better hurry."

The two heroes quickly went to the living room. In there, Tatsumaki was almost near the ceiling, with the remaining bits of her phone and the paper floaring around her.

"Dang, we better get her down soon. She's about to hit the ceiling." Saitama said as he jumped up and grabbed the small esper's wrist before gently tugging her down.

"Hey Tats, wake up." he said as Tatsumaki glared at him abruptly, her eyes glowing green. Realizing that it was Saitama, the glow emanating around her gradually softened.

"Have you read the paper yet?!" she asked, her face flushed in red.

"No, but Fubuki filled me in. You don't have to worry about some dumb article. It isn't true, right? Why would you get so worked up about something that isn't true?" Saitama nonchalantly said, making Tatsumaki twitch. She doesn't know if it was because of the anger or confusion.

"What…? You expect me to let those idiots who wrote this article get away? Spewing lies and nonsense to the public? If they fake articles, then should they even be trusted with any other news?"

Saitama scratched his head awkwardly, trying to think up of something. In all honestly, he didn't really care. It was just an article anyway. Yeah, sure it would scratch his reputation but he doesn't really care about what other people thought about him. He's a hero who beats up bad guys to save people, not some celebrity with a reputation to keep.

But it was probably different for Tatsumaki, he thought.

"Instead of annihilating the newspaper company, why not talking to them about it? I'll come with you." Saitama offered.

"He's right, onee-chan. You don't need another controversy you know." Fubuki added. She really didn't want to see her sister on the paper again.

Still deciding on what to do, Saitama's phone rang.

"Hello? Oh hey. Yeah. Yeah. Sure. Yeah. Bye." Saitama placed his phone back to his pocket, glancing at Tatsumaki.

"We have to head to the Association first." he said.

* * *

Inside Sitch's office, the blond man was sitting on his chair with his arms crossed. Tatsumaki was slightly concerned, but Saitama's thoughts were wandering about the upcoming sales for the week.

"Look, the newspaper's article was pure bullshit. I assure you that. Caped Baldy and I are _friends_ and I-"

"I just wanted to congratulate you two! I know that it isn't any of the Association's business but it's great that two of you got along really, _really_ well." Sitch said with smile. Though in reality, he was really glad that someone could 'tame' the petite esper. The Association always considered Tatsumaki as a threat waiting to happen because of her temper plus her powers. Having someone like Saitama by her side would take the problem off their hands.

This time, Saitama's attention was full on Sitch while Tatsumaki could only blink in response.

"What?!" the two heroes said in unison.

"You called us here just to say that?" Saitama said, confused.

"But I just told you, the article is full of lies! We are not dating! I swear!" Tatsumaki said, her face slightly red.

"Now, now Tatsumaki-san. No need to get embarrassed."

"I. Am. Not. Fucking AROUND!" she exclaimed, her hands glowing green.

"Uh… she's right. We really aren't dating. We're just friends." Saitama said, hoping it would calm the esper down.

"Oh. I see, I see. The press misunderstood, perhaps?"

"Totally misunderstood everything."

"Uh-huh. Well, this happens all the time, you know. We can contact the newspaper company, but we don't know if it'll do anything. The press isn't really reliable, you know?" Sitch said.

"Exactly!" Saitama responded, slightly glad that someone shares his opinion.

"Well, I glad you two cleared things. I'll be seeing you then." Sitch said, dismissing the two heroes. As the two went out of his office, Saitama sighed heavily.

"Man, the press will do anything for a good scoop huh?" the bald hero said.

"…you're not even mad at the press?" Tatsumaki asked, her tone a tad different from her usual, frilly voice.

"Why would I be? It's a waste of time. Just let them say whatever they wanna say. It'll die down in no time. If we get all defensive and stuff, wouldn't the public just think that the article is true because of our reaction?" he said casually as the two of them walked out of the headquarters.

"I guess you're right." she replied.

As the two got out of the quarters, civilians around the place started to notice their presence.

"Hey, aren't those two heroes dating?"

"I heard that the bald dude's only using Tatsumaki's fame to rise up the ranks. He used to be a C-class right? Look at where he is now."

"Isn't he the hero who's a scam because of his sudden raise in the rankings? Is this the reason why?"

"Man, he is such a cheat."

"Tatsumaki could do better that that."

"You know that I heard? Tatsumaki was the one willing to raise this nobody's ranks up."

"Yeah, remember that clown incident? I heard from a friend working in the Association that she wanted to give all the credit to this guy, even though she defeated the monster."

"She doesn't like working with other S-class heroes but she unfairly helps this loser? She's such a rip-off."

Tatsumaki gritted her teeth. She was more than ready to teach these idiots a lesson when she felt Saitama's hand on her shoulder.

"Damn it, why does the Association have to meddle with other heroes' businesses! So what if I stick around you right? It helps my rep! Don't get me wrong here Tats, we have a great dynamic, but I'm already up in the A-class. I think I'm good without you." Saitama said loudly for almost everyone within the vicinity could hear. Tatsumaki was suddenly flushed with red, confused with what was happening.

"What in the hell are you saying?!"

"I'm breaking up with you. I got what I wanted, and the Association already found out so I think I'm gonna be fine from now on." Saitama answered, which only confused her even more.

"What the hell… this guy really is an asshole." a random bystander mumbled.

"He really is just using Tatsumaki." another bystander said.

More and more civilians started chattering about Saitama, and it only angered Tatsumaki more.

"Hey! All of you! Mind your own goddamn businesses! Stay outta our case!" Saitama said, as the bystanders slowly dispersed. When most of the civilians were gone. Tatsumaki glared up at the hero, her eyes demanding an explanation.

"What the hell did you do!?" she asked, her face still slightly red in embarrassment and agitation.

"I just shut down the article. It's better that way. You can't scratch your rep, right? A lot of people look up to you as an inspiration. As a hero." Saitama replied, as if nothing happened.

"But… you completely ruined yours." she mumbled while he only shrugged his shoulders.

"Who cares? Besides, as long as I can save people like the kids in the amusement park, I think I'm good." the hero said. Tatsumaki could only stare at Saitama, wondering how he could think like that. He was the exact definition of a hero, and he was definitely worthy of an S-class. It was difficult to deny that now.

"And hey, we're friends. I got your back and you got mine. That's what friends do." Saitama said with a small smile as he patted her head. Tatsumaki could only grunt.

"Whatever." she mumbled though deep inside, she was sure as hell that his warm hand softly caressing her head was all she needed to help her calm down.

* * *

 **Another chapter down!**

 **I'm pretty sure Fubuki was slightly OOC here, but I kinda want her relationship with Tatsumaki a little like love/hate kinda thing. Like she cares for her older sister but hates it when she tries to meddle with her group. You know, the typical relationship we have with our siblings.**

 **Anyway, I hope I can think of another idea soon. I'm thinking of throwing Genos back in and some other heroes to still assume that the two of them are dating lol. Seeing Tats deny the shit out of everything is kinda cute. And King would be all like "I fucking knew it man I called it first.". Plain. Comedy.**

 **Sooooo see ya'll latursssssss! Peace out!**


	11. Chapter 10: What's a Friend?

**BACK FROM THE GRAVE DUDES.**

 **I'm sorry the update took so damn long. I just changed shifts in my internship, and I didn't have time to finish early ;A; But not to worry! Thanks to some of you guys, suggestions, I was able to recover from my writer's block mehe. A big shoutout to you dudes. You know who you are 3**

 **Anywho, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Fubuki waited patiently in her sister's apartment. They were summoned by the Heroes' Association, so it made her think that the article was a bigger deal than she thought. Were Saitama and Tatsumaki still at the Association? Or did her sister already ripped the newspaper company apart? And what the hell happened over the past few days that made the media think that the two of them were dating? She has known her sister better than anyone else, and the thought of Tatsumaki being linked to anyone was unimaginable.

After a few more minutes, she heard the apartment door opening. She stood up and walked towards her sister.

"How did it go?" Fubuki asked, curious about what went down.

"It was fine. I thought they would get mad or something. Turns out they just wanted to congratulate us." Saitama said as he scratched the back of his head. Tatsumaki rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms.

" _And_ , we cleared the misunderstanding. I said we're just friends and we aren't dating or anything." the green-haired esper nonchalantly said, even though her cheeks were slightly smudged with pink. On the other hand, Fubuki could only blink.

"Wait, let me get one thing straight," she said as she rubbed her temples. "You two are _friends_?" Fubuki added, stressing the last word. Tatsumaki blinked a few times as she nodded.

"Yeah that's what I said, didn't I?" she replied, as a matter-of-factly. Meanwhile, Saitama simply stood there, thinking about a huge sale in City C. The supermarket opens at 7 am, and it would surely be packed with customers. He had to get there at least an hour early.

Back to the sisters, Fubuki heaved a deep sigh before talking once more.

"All my life you told me the same damn thing; to never have friends since they would only bring me down. You always insulted my group, humiliated us even! Just because of your stupid idealogy of having comrades! But if it's you having a friend, it's okay?! What are you trying to say?!" Fubuki said, her cheeks red in anger. Tatsumaki was slightly taken aback as she furrowed her eyebrows.

"Unlike your so-called 'friends', this baldy is actually useful in battle." Tatsumaki flatly said as she pointed at Saitama. The bald hero could only mutter a "huh?" as he was snapped away from his thoughts about the sale. He suddenly became aware of the brewing fight between the two sisters.

"So uh… I should probably leave-" Saitama said awkwardly, but the two espers were too focused on their heated argument.

"What- I can't believe you! Friends are not assets that are only there during battles or fights! Friends are there for _you_ in whatever situation you are in! Friends are like family!" Fubuki exclaimed as she felt tears forming in her eyes. Somehow, the word family struck Tatsumaki. It's been a long time since she last saw their foster parents. Maybe, just maybe, Fubuki was looking for a family to belong to once more. But isn't she enough family for her sister? This confused the petite esper as she shook her head.

"And you!" Fubuki snapped at Saitama as she pointed a finger at him. The bald hero pointed at himself, confused.

"Me?" he muttered.

"We've known each other longer than my sister and you considered her as your friend? Whereas you only saw me as an acquaintance? Is it because she's stronger than me?! Is that it?!" the raven-haired esper said, her voice cracking. Saitama could only blink.

"Ah. No. It's actually much deeper than that." he replied. His real reason for accepting Tatsumaki as his friend is because of her past. He had to consider her as his friend to help the small esper understand the meaning camaraderie. And it's not all bad being friends with her anyway, he thought.

Fubuki gritted her teeth as she turned on her heel and walked towards the door.

"It's a real freaking treat to be _your_ little sister." she said before slamming the door shut using a wave of her hand. The two heroes were now left alone, speechless. They simply stared at the door.

"Gee, I kind of felt bad for Fubuki." Saitama said as he scratched the back of his head. On the other hand, Tatsumaki could only remain speechless.

"Tats?" the other hero said, making the green-haired esper snap from her thoughts. She looked up at him before staring at the opposite direction.

"I think I need to clear my head for a bit." she muttered.

"Oh. I'll be going then." Saitama said as Tatsumaki nodded and walked towards her living room, not even dismissing the bald hero. Realizing that she was too shaken to see him out, Saitama left Senritsu Tatsumaki's apartment.

* * *

"Sensei, you seem troubled." Genos said, looking up from his notebook. Saitama then blinked as he glanced at the blond cyborg.

"Ah, was I? I was just thinking about the sale in City C. The supermarket's located in a popular neighborhood, so it might be difficult to shop tomorrow." he answered. Of course Saitama already knows what his "disciple" would reply.

"Then I shall assist you, sensei! I swear on my grave that I would successfully gather all the necessary items that you would be listing-"

"Yeah, yeah I get it. You can come along." Saitama said, interrupting Genos. He really didn't want the cyborg to get into another monologue.

"It's an honor, sensei!"

Saitama nodded as a reply before he went back to the manga he was reading. Before he could turn the page, Genos spoke up once again.

"I've read yesterday's paper, and you made news alongside with Tatsumaki-san. Sensei, are the two of you really da-"

"No, we aren't."

Genos blinked. He expected that one.

"I see. Shall I incinerate the newspaper company?"

Saitama scratched his head. He had the same reaction as the midget.

"No need to, seriously. The media is always twisting stories so that it would sell, even to the point of creating a whole lie." the bald hero said as he picked his nose.

"They should be taught a lesson for dirtying your name!" the cyborg reasoned. Saitama could only sigh.

"Look, there are still plenty of newspaper companies all over the world. Destroying one wouldn't make a difference. Sure, not all of them are completely bogus, but most of them are." he said, hoping that Genos would understand so that they could stop talking about the stupid article. It was making his head ache.

Fortunately for Saitama, Genos nodded in agreement.

"I guess you are right, sensei." he responded before writing some new notes on his notebook. Genos remembered the time when Saitama defeated the Sea King. The bald hero never did care about his reputation, as long as he was able to contribute for the greater good.

"Ah, by the way, the supermarket opens at 8. I'm gonna get there at around 7 so that I could avoid the crowd." Saitama said, as Genos nodded.

"Copy that." the cyborg answered as he set up an internal alarm to wake up at exactly 6 am tomorrow.

As the two heroes went back to their own businesses, a loud knock from the apartment's door disturbed them. Saitama was about to get up reluctantly when Genos instantly stood up.

"It's King-san, sensei." he said as he walked towards the door and opened it. Saitama was a bit amazed with Genos' ability. He realized how good Dr. Stench is.

The moment the door opened, King instantly walked towards Saitama and held the hero by the shoulders. Somehow, he knew what King was going to say next.

"Saitama-bro. The article. Is it-"

"Nope, it isn't" Saitama answered nonchalantly. He was getting tired of all these questions. He wouldn't be surprised if Bang visited him to ask the same damn question. After a few seconds when King entered his apartment, another knock was heard. Genos opened the door once more to reveal Bang. Saitama wanted to slam his head on the table for even thinking about it.

"Saitama-"

"Tatsumaki and I are not dating." he said flatly, getting a bit annoyed now. On the other hand, the martial artist blinked.

"What are you talking about? I'm here to hand you your wagyu beef." Bang said as he handed Saitama a paper bag. The hero could only mutter an "oh" as he accepted the said bag.

"Thanks man." he said as he stood up and stored the beef in his refrigerator.

"So you two really aren't dating-"

"Good god, Bang. We are not. We're friends. That's it." Saitama said. He should've known that Bang was informed about the article too. On the other hand, the older hero simply nodded.

"I see." he muttered. "You two are still getting to know each other. It's a bit too fast if you two would be together-"

"Let's just drop the topic altogether, shall we?" Saitama said as he went back to his manga. Meanwhile, King could only snicker internally. The sudden aversion of the issue. A classic.

"Sensei, whoever it is that you wish to form a romantic relationship with, I will fully support-"

"I said let's drop it."

* * *

Tatsumaki sat down in her living room's sofa, hugging her knees to her chest. Arguing with Fubuki wasn't a first, but somehow her sister said something that made her think about the way she treated Fubuki. Is her group really her friends? Not some weak-ass heroes who simply wanted to rise from their ranks by hanging out with a strong hero such as her little sister?

Trusting others was a new thing for Tatsumaki.

She couldn't quite grasp the thought of her little sister accepting heroes as 'friends' who will never last in battle. But as what Fubuki say to her earlier, friends are more than just allies; they are family as well.

 _Family._

It's been so long since she last saw her foster parents that she already forgot the whole concept of family. All she could think of was the day when her foster parents agreed in giving her away to the "scientists" who would research on her powers. It's not quite a good memory for a family, but it was the only strong memory she had.

But maybe Fubuki knows the real meaning of family.

Tatsumaki scratched her head in annoyance when she suddenly realized that almost all her furniture were floating. She let out a grunt as she let all of the floating items down.

"This is giving me a headache," the small esper muttered as she let herself fall on the couch. "What the hell am I going to do?"

* * *

Genos and Saitama stood in front of City C's supermarket amidst the fellow shoppers who got up early. As per the bald hero's plan, the two heroes arrived at the supermarket by 7:15 am, and now they were waiting for a few more minutes.

"Good thing we got early, huh? Look at all these people. I'm not surprised though. The discounts are so high that they're practically giving away the products." Saitama said as he read the flyer of the shop's sale. His faithful disciple could only nod in agreement.

"As usual, your hunch was right, sensei."

As the mintues decrease, Satiama readied himself for the battle he would face today. And as the time ticked to exactly 8 am, the supermarket's door opened. Everyone entered rashly, since it was every shopper for themselves. As tempting as it was to use his powers, the bald hero joined the crowd, as if he was in a mosh pit. Genos, on the other hand, started to scan the products and segregated each by their qualities. With all the people around, it was quite difficult to reach and grab for their desired product.

Out of nowhere, grocery items started to float in mid-air. Genos instantly realized that all of the floating items were listed in Saitama's grocery list. The cyborg also noticed that they were glowing in a greenish color. It could only mean one thing.

"Senritsu no Tatsumaki!" He exclaimed a he looked up, seeing the small esper with her finger raised.

"Hey egghead! Where's your cart?" Tatsumaki yelled from above, making Saitama look up at her.

"Oh hey Tats. I didn't see you there. It's pretty smart that you're floating above the crowd and— holy crap!" Saitama was caught by surprise when the green-haired esper suddenly gathered the floating groceries and gently placed them in his cart. She floated down to where the bald hero was, as Genos squeezed his way through to regroup with his teacher.

"Sensei, is that all of it?" he asked.

"A box of kelp… some onions… and yep. That's all of it. Thanks, Tats." Saitama said with a thumbs up. Tatsumaki crossed her arms as she let out a huff.

"Just hurry up and pay for those. I need to talk to you about something." she said before walking out of the supermarket. Saitama watched her leave, curious on what she's going to tell him. The two heroes then went to the counter to pay for the groceries before exiting the supermarket.

"What's up?" Saitama asked the esper, who in return glanced up at him.

"It's… a bit personal." she muttered as she transferred her gaze back to the ground.

"Oh." Saitama muttered as he glanced at Genos.

"Hey, is it alright if you bring these back to my apartment?" he said, giving the cyborg an apologetic look.

"Of course, sensei! It's the least I could do!"

"Thanks, dude."

"It's not a problem." Genos replied as he grabbed the plastic bags and jumped up at a nearest building and then running at top speed.

Tatsumaki then started to walk away, not even informing the bald hero.

"Hey!" Saitama called out as he walked behind her. Ever since Tatsumaki and Fubuki's argument yesterday, the small esper has been oddly quiet. Saitama was still getting used to this side of hers.

"I still don't get what Fubuki was getting all fired up about. Yeah sure, I consider having friends now but compared her so-called 'friends', they are just a bunch of pathetic freaks who could potentially weaken her." Tatsumaki said, her pace of talking a tad bid too fast. Saitama looked down at her, thinking of what to say. He didn't really wanted to get involved with their fight.

"You don't measure friendship based on their powers, Tatsumaki." he said as he placed his hands in his hoodies' pockets. "It's just like Fubuki said, having a friend is like having family. You accept them as who they are because they'll be the only ones who'd be there for you when you really need it."

Tatsumaki scoffed. The mere idea of what Saitama said sounded downright ridiculous to her.

"Then why did my parents give me up when I needed them most?" she said as painful memories started to pour in again. She hated thinking about it.

Saitama scratched the back of his head. Indeed, what Tatsumaki went through as a kid was hell, since the ones she trusted the most would suddenly leave her like that. He might not be able to convince her to change her mind, but he had to try.

"Look, Tats, your parents weren't the best parents and that's all in the past. Sure, they gave you up to a bunch of strangers, but that doesn't say who you are today. Forget about them, and find a family of your own that would treat you what you deserve." Saitama said as Tatsumaki could only stare at the ground. As usual, the bald hero had a point. That's what Fubuki probably did, she thought. Her sister moved on from their parents and found a real family that would always be there for her.

"And I think you owe Fubuki an apology. She's the only real family you got left. You don't wanna lose that." the young hero added, making Tatsumaki flinch.

Fubuki is her only real family now. And she knows that she has to settle things with her.

With a huge sigh, Tatsumaki looked up at Saitama.

"Let's go to her head quarters."

* * *

Fubuki was sitting down on her HQ's sofa, with her arms and legs crossed. It was quite obvious that she was still mad. Across her was Tatsumaki, who sat down on a foldable chair, her legs crossed. On the other hand Saitama waited outside the room, mainly to give the sisters their privacy and at the same time to not be involved in anything the moment the two would get physical.

"What brings you here, Tatsumaki? Are you here to degrade my group again?" Fubuki said, breaking the silence between them. The green-haired esper sighed as she leaned on the chair.

"No. Your 'group' is pitiful enough to receive more insults, don't you think?" Tatsumaki responded casually as her sister clenched her fists in agitation.

"Look, if you have nothing better to say, I suggest you leave!"

"What the- I just said I won't insult your group anymore because it would just make them even more pitiful!"

"Just shut up!"

"What the hell are you—"

"'Sorry', Tats. That's what apologizing is." Saitama voice from behind the closed door suddenly interrupted the siblings' argument. Both Fubuki and Tatsumaki stared at the door, the green-haired esper's eye twitching. With a heavy sigh, Tatsumaki composed herself and looked straight at her little sister's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Fubuki. I never did understood why you hang around with losers you call your friends," she muttered, as the raven-haired esper gritted her teeth. Tatsumaki insulted her group, yet again.

"But despite their flaws, they remained loyal to you. They always had your back. And I guess that's enough reason to consider them as your friends." Tatsumaki finally said before standing up and heading towards the door. She had enough emotions to handle in a day. Fubuki remained speechless with her sister's words; it was like someone took over Tatsumaki's body.

But before twisting the knob, the small esper glanced back at her little sister.

"And one more thing; if one of those weirdos turn against you, I'm turning them into grind meat." she said. All of a sudden, Fubuki stood up and walked towards her sister. Tatsumaki looked up at her, slightly curious.

"Thank you, onee-chan." the raven-haired esper said, her voice gentle and soft. The older esper blinked before smiling slightly and letting out a small 'hmmp'.

"It's not a big deal." Tatsumaki said before opening the door and leaving. Saitama glanced at her, smiling.

"So how did it go—"

Before the bald hero could finish his sentence, Tatsumaki leaned on him, her head hung.

"Pat my head." she muttered, her voice slightly different than usual. Saitama blinked, but did what he was told. He gently caressed the esper's soft, green hair as he spoke.

"Wanna eat some ramen?" the young hero offered, whilst the other only nodded her head in agreement.

* * *

 **Once again, I apologize for the typos. Feel free to correct my grammar and I'll edit them as soon as possible. (Ididn'tproofreadagainlolhelp)**


	12. Chapter 11: A Promise

**I LIIIIIIIIVE! /slapped**

 **So yes, I'm not dead, hi hello.**

 **But I did run out of ideas. So here. A chapter that makes no sense. With tons of OOC-ness. killmenow.**

 **I might write the last chapter soon, since there is no point of stretching the story any longer. Tats' break is about to end, what else is there to write?**

 **I also want to thank all of you guys who still reads my story. You have no idea how much it helps me. And I feel a bit guilty for not delivering a quality story ;A; I know I could do better, but I wanted to update. I'll make it up to all of you, I swear. Just bear with me for a few more chaps, aight?**

 **Please enjoy!**

* * *

"Uh-huh, and also two sides of gyoza. Thanks." Saitama told the cook, to which the latter gave the young hero a nod. To his left was Senritsu no Tatsumaki, staring at the menu above them. The petite esper had her hair tied in a ponytail as she continued to stare at the menu, as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. She jumped slightly in her seat when she felt a hand tap her shoulder.

"Hey your ramen'll get cold." Saitama muttered as he pointed at her food. Tatsumaki shook her head and glared at the poor hero.

"Don't you think I'm aware of that?" she grumbled as she grabbed the chopsticks and ate ramen unusually quick as usual.

' _Good, she's back.'_ Saitama thought as he, too, ate. It was a relief that the sisters were gradually patching up. He wouldn't be able to handle another city getting blown up to pieces.

As Saitama ate in peace, Tatsumaki wanted to hurl herself on the establishment's wall as she remembered the very words her mouth produced right after she went out of Fubuki's HQ.

" _Pat my head."_

Just remembering it made her face flush with a deep shade of red. Was it something a friend would say to a friend? Probably? Did it weird Saitama out? She wasn't really sure. The man did have a limited set of facial expressions. She glanced at him, trying to see if anything bothered the bald hero.

' _Nothing… seems to be bothering him. He still looks like a walking egg.'_ she thought as she continued eating.

"Try eating the gyoza with the ramen. It's really good." Saitama said as he pushed a plate of gyoza towards Tatsumaki. The esper glanced at him before transferring her gaze at the food offered to her. She picked a gyoza with her chopsticks as she muttered a small "thank you".

As told, Tatsumaki ate the fried dumpling along with the ramen. And as usual, Saitama was right.

"I-it's good." she muttered as she grabbed another gyoza. Her cheeks were puffed since it was full of food. Tatsumaki was getting comfortable with Saitama without even realizing it.

Saitama smiled wryly as he let the small hero eat in peace.

It wasn't all bad being friends with Senritsu no Tatsumaki after all.

"One chasu ramen, please." the deep, grumbling voice came from beside him.

The bald hero could really care less on whoever it was who sat next to them, but when that person spoke, he almost spat out the food he was chewing.

"King?" Saitama said out loud as he turned his head at the man. Tatsumaki peeked and was slightly surprised to see a fellow S-class hero. Suddenly remembering the last time she was in a gathering with him, her face flushed with red. Instead of saying something, the small esper could only go back to eating. Begrudgingly.

"Ah, Saitama-bro…? And… oh. Senritsu no Tatsumaki-san. Eating with Saitama _again_ , huh?" King said, though his voice was monotonous, Saitama could feel that the S-class hero was heavily implying something.

At the mention of her name, Tatsumaki reluctantly turned to face King. "…he's just paying me back." she muttered. On the other hand, Saitama sighed and scratched the back of his neck.

"Yep. _Friends_ eat out together sometimes too, y'know." Saitama said as he ate a gyoza.

King smirked internally.

"Neat. Friends." he muttered as his order arrived.

* * *

The three heroes exited the small ramen shop, with Saitama stretching his arms. "Man, that was so good. Ramen never gets old."

"…it was alright." Tatsumaki mumbled with her arms crossed.

"You heading back to your apartment, King?" Saitama asked as he looked up at him. King nodded as an answer.

"Yeah. I still have three characters to unlock in this new dating sim game that I bought yesterday," the other hero replied as he glanced at the two other heroes. "How about you two?"

"We're all going to the same direction then. I'm taking Tatsumaki back to her apartment." Saitama simply replied. Somehow, Tatsumaki was a bit irked with the hero's answer.

"It's not like I'm incapable of walking myself to my apartment." she said with a glare looking up at Saitama.

"Hey, we're both in this together. It's technically part of my assignment to see you get home." Saitama reasoned. Meanwhile, the otaku could only laugh internally as he stared at the two other heroes arguing casually. He also noticed how comfortable Tatsumaki was when she's with Saitama. It's not the same as before where her aura was cautious. The bald hero did have an effect on her.

"Ah, I just remembered. The game I pre-ordered just arrived today. I have to pick it up at the store." King suddenly said, interrupting both Tatsumaki and Saitama from their banter.

"Guess I'll see you later King." Saitama said as he raised a hand. On the other hand, Tatsumaki simply scoffed and crossed her arms. King smiled slightly and went to the opposite direction before smirking. He was quite proud of himself when he thought of going on a detour, leaving the two heroes to themselves. Besides, he didn't want to be a thirdwheel.

As King left, Saitama and Tatsumaki continued walking on their way home.

"How did you and King ever became friends? Did you two fought a monster in teams or something?" Tatsumaki asked as she levitated herself instead of walking.

"Uh… you could say that." Saitama said as he recalled the giant bird that crashed on King's apartment. That was also the day where he learned that King was a very, very strong opponent… in video games. Though inside of Tatsumaki's head, the monster the two heroes faced was probably so strong that an S-class like King and this egghead had to team up. It somehow bothered her that she wasn't aware of this monster's existence.

"I see." she muttered, feeling slightly down. Somehow, she remembered their tandem when they fought the dragon-level clown monster. Their tandem was pretty good, if she says so herself. But alas, there was still one day left of her break. Fighting monsters was still a big no-no. Or at least according to Saitama.

The two heroes walked in humble silence. Saitama didn't really know how to start a conversation with her, since this was the first time that the small esper was actually civil to him. It was really, really weird but it was probably because he wasn't used to it yet. With an attempt to start a conversation, Saitama decided to break the awful air of silence.

"Ah, hey-"

"I never did get to ride the Ferris wheel, huh?" Tatsumaki suddenly said, making Saitama completely forget what he was about to say. He blinked before nodding in agreement.

"Oh, right," Saitama muttered. "There's still next time, though. I promise I'll take you."

Hearing those words made Tatsumaki stare at the bald here beside her, not realizing how red her cheeks were. _Can he say those words as friends?!_ She thought, feeling flushed. She slightly remembers watching a television movie where a guy promised a girl that he'd take her somewhere. She forgot the whole plot of the film, but the ambiance of the movie wasn't really applicable to friends.

As she felt her face getting hotter, the green-haired esper shook her head brashly. _I'm probably overthinking all these._ She concluded as they continued their walk. _We're friends._

With that final thought, it made Senritsu no Tatsumaki unconsciously smile.

* * *

As they reached the apartment area, Tatsumaki floated slightly as she spoke.

"Hey baldy. You don't need to walk me back to my unit." she said as they reached the A-class' area. Saitama blinked as he nodded.

"Well, that was my plan actually but okay. I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." Saitama responded, which slightly ticked the esper off, but she decided to let this one slide. Today was one hell of a day anyway.

But… wait. Did Saitama just said he'll see her tomorrow?

Ah, yeah. There was still a day left in her break. Saitama had to fulfill that duty.

Shrugging it off, Tatsumaki nodded and mumbled a small "see you" as she turned to her back and floated towards the path to the S-class' area.

Saitama then entered his apartment, relieved that the day was over and he could finally relax and sort out the groceries he just bought. Though Genos might've already done it for him. The young hero removed his shoes and place them on the side as he placed his keys somewhere near the kitchen counter. Since he was a bit tired, he hasn't noticed that his apartment's lights were turned on and that a certain blond cyborg and a huge otaku was sitting in his living room, as if waiting for someone.

"Sensei! Welcome home!" Genos cheerfully greeted while King only raised a hand.

"Oh, hey guys. What's u- WAIT A GODDAMN MINUTE WHAT ARE YOU TWO- HOW DID YOU- WHAT?" Saitama then felt all the living daylights shook away from him as he saw the two S-class heroes in his living room. Somehow, he was surprised that he got surprised. These two would casually just barge in his apartment.

"Those details aren't important, the real topic here is, what's going on between you and the tsundere?" King said, straight to the point.

"As I said before, sensei, I will be very supportive in whoever it is you choose to be a potential partner. May it be Tatsumaki-san. Long live you two, sensei." Genos politely and sincerely said.

On the other hand, Saitama could feel the veins in his temple about to pop.

"Haven't you been listening to me? We. Are. FRIENDS!" Saitama said as he crossed his arms. He felt slightly betrayed that Genos still believed that he and Tatsumaki has a thing.

"That's what they all say." King muttered as he turned on Saitama's television.

"If you don't believe me, fine. Just don't blame me if Tatsumaki decides to throw you into outer space," the bald hero muttered as he sat somewhere in his living room. He was kinda used to the narrow space. "Aren't you supposed to be finishing some otome game, King?"

"Yeah, but I find your own otome adventure much more entertaining." the S-class hero answered with a slight smirk on his face. Saitama could only smack his face with a hand.

"I am sensing a sudden change in your heart rate, Saitama-sensei. It seems to be getting faster. Are you… getting flustered, sensei?" Genos asked curiously, making King snicker.

"Wha- I am not flustered! Wait, you can sense that!?" Saitama said as he scratched his head. For a brief moment, Genos was silent before King laughed out loud, patting the cyborg on his back.

"Ah, King-san asked me to say that sensei. It is what you call a 'prank', as what he told me. It's supposed to be humorous." the blond cyborg said monotonously, somehow not getting the concept of pranking.

"Man, you should've seen your face, Saitama-bro. You're being defensive. It's like straight out of a shoujo manga." King said as he composed himself. On the other hand, Saitama could only rub his temples.

"Why I still let you in my apartment, I will never know." he muttered as he decided to focus on what was on the T.V. He had to admit that he and Tatsumaki we're getting slightly comfortable with each other but there is no way in hell they'd reach _that_ point. He can't imagine being other than friends with the esper. She might kill him.

But…

He admits, she is kinda cute. Sometimes. When she's not threatening or insulting him.

Saitama decided to never, ever sputter those thoughts. King might go full on shoujo manga mode again. He wouldn't want that.

"She may be cute, but she definitely needs some attitude adjustment." the hero muttered unconsciously.

"What was that, sensei?" Genos asked as he looked up from his notes. Fortunately for Saitama, no one heard him.

"Ah, it's nothing. I was remembering if the sale next week is in City J or City P."

"I think it is going to be in City M, sensei. You mentioned it yesterday."

"Ah, right. Thanks, Genos."

 _That was a close one._ Saitama thought as he placed his focus back on the television. Tomorrow is the last day of Tatsumaki's break. It might be another long day tomorrow. Knowing the esper, who knows?

* * *

It was 8:25 in the morning as the last day of Senritsu no Tatsumaki's break has come upon them. Saitama, who was wearing a shirt that said 'meat' on it and his usual cargo shorts, stood in front of her apartment's door, casually ringing the doorbell. Again, he heard a few small footsteps and some mumbling before the door opened to reveal the green-haired esper wearing… a plain sundress. That was new.

"Hey," Saitama said with a hand raised. Tatsumaki simply rolled her eyes and opened the door wide enough for the bald hero to enter. "Sorry for intruding."

"Have you had breakfast already?" Tatsumaki asked as she plopped down on her couch.

"Yeah, you?"

"Mhmm." Tatsumaku mumbled as she switched channels using her remote control.

"Sooooo you have any plans?" Saitama asked, feeling a bit awkward.

"Nope." the esper replied.

Saitama then nodded and sat on the couch as well, a distance set between them.

"Can't find the right show, huh?" Saitama said as she kept on switching channels.

Tatsumaki simply nodded.

A whole minute had passed when the young hero stood up and decided to leave. Tatsumaki probably wanted her last day of break spent alone.

"So uh, I guess I'll get going. You probably need some alone time, right?" Saitama said, only to be stopped by Tatsumaki when she held the hem of his shirt.

"Hey… the day's not over yet." She muttered, her cheeks slightly puffed.

"Well, are we... just going to watch a bunch of T.V shows all day…?"

"I don't know, you always come up with something! You did drag me to all sorts of places the entire week!" Tatsumaki retorted. She was kinda expecting that Saitama had some sort of itinerary for the day. She felt slightly stupid for expecting that.

Saitama blinked before scratching the back of his head. "Ah. Is that so?"

"Y-you didn't have any plans…? You just came here?" the esper asked expectantly.

"Well, I thought you wanted to go somewhere. I was kinda waiting for you."

There was another odd air of silence that came upon them.

"So uh, do you want walking around the cities? We could find a sale, y'know. Some markets don't really advertise. It's what I do as past time." Saitama suggested, suddenly feeling giddy.

"How stupid." Tatsumaki muttered as she crossed her arms. Saitama sighed as he sat back on the couch.

"What do you have in mind then?" he asked.

Tatsumaki was silent for a bit before she answered.

"…fine. Let's go with your stupid walk." Tatsumaki mumbled as she entered her room and exiting it with a hat on. Saitama stared at her get up as his thoughts suddenly wandered off…

This seemed like a date.

"That's stupid, of course it's not." Saitama muttered to himself as he waved his hand, motioning a 'no'.

"What the hell are you doing?" Tatsumaki asked as she wore a pair of sandals. Saitama blinked a couple of times before walking towards the front door.

"Nah, it's nothing." he answered. The esper simply rolled her eyes as the two heroes exited Senritsu no Tatsumaki's apartment.

It was going to be a long day indeed.

* * *

 **THIS WAS SO SHORT IM SO SORRY ;A;**

 **So as you can see, I am having trouble coming up of plot lines now. I really decided to end it when Tatsumaki slightly opens up to Saitama, but I also wanted to explore their budding friendship. Good lord, help me. Suggestions would be really, really helpful.**

 **Since I am getting a bit busy with work and stuff, the next update might be late again. I'm really sorry huhuhuhuhuhu**

 **See you next time!**


	13. Chapter 12: Ferris Wheel

**Hey guys! I'm back~ huehuehue**

 **I owe you all an apology for updating so late again ; v ; To be honest, I lost inspiration along the way, and found it hard to compose stories. But since I'm unemployed now, I decided to continue writing while I still have the free time. I hope to finish this story before the year ends mehe.**

 **Also, I want to thank all of you guys who never gave up on this fic and kept on reading! Thank you very much for all your reviews as well! It helps me write even more~**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Saitama always thought that walking with a popular S-class hero was going to be a bother. Mainly because of their reputation and media exposure. Yet here he was, walking side by side with Senritsu no Tatsumaki, the Hero Association's S-class rank 2. It was probably her outfit that made her 'invisible' to the crowd. She wore a plain sundress and a summer hat; anyone looking at her would assume that she was just a normal civilian.

"Why do you keep on staring at me?" Tatsumaki asked as she looked up at the bald hero. Slightly caught by surprise, Saitama scratched the back of his head.

"Ah- I just thought that more people would notice you. You are kinda famous."

"I'm not wearing my hero uniform. Of course they wouldn't recognize me." Tatsumaki said as she stared at the opposite direction, since her cheeks were slightly red.

"Guess you're right. It kinda suits you too." Saitama muttered bluntly, unaware of the fact that the esper beside him was blushing madly now.

" _W-what is with him?! I mean, friends compliment each other, right?"_

"You look like a NEET without your uniform on." Tatsumaki then said, gradually realizing that she just insulted him.

" _Crap!"_

"You're kinda right though. If I hadn't joined the Association, I probably would just stay in my apartment and read mangas." Saitama said as he chuckled a bit, his eyes looking around for stores that might have a sale. The small esper sighed in relief. _"It didn't even bother him a bit."_

The two continued their walk along the city peacefully. There wasn't any sale around, so that bummed Saitama a bit. Tatsumaki also found it a bit odd that not a single monster showed up yet. Usually, especially around this time of the day, random monsters would pop out. Most of them at tiger level, at least.

" _Well, at least I can enjoy the last day of my break."_ the small esper thought as she glanced around the city. Since she always flew around the cities, she never had the chance to see what the actual sight was on the ground. Civilians were everywhere; adults, children, teenagers, office workers, students, and many more diverse people walked around the streets. And it was one of her primary duties to see to it that these people live in peace. These were also people that look up to her as a hero.

"…hmph." she huffed.

"Eh? What was that?" Saitama asked as he heard a sound from her. Tatsumaki simply scoffed and muttered "it's nothing", and that was enough answer for him.

A few feet across from them was another S-class hero walking around with a small girl beside him. It was the famous Metal Bat. Her little sister was holding the hero's hand, explaining that at her next recital, she wouldn't need a bouquet twice her size.

"But ya deserve the best bouquet for yer performance, Zenko! And as yer big brother, it's my responsibility to give ya the best!" the usual brash and aggressive hero said as he proudly looked at her.

"Geez onii-chan! You don't have to overkill it!" Zenko rebutted. As Metal Bat was about to say something, he noticed a familiar bald head walking towards them.

" _Ah, he seems familiar. He was at the S-class meeting, right? What was his name again? Bald something? And- ah. Is that his little sister too?"_ he thought and eyed Tatsumaki, whom he thought was Saitama's sister. _"Maybe she could be friends with Zenko."_

"Oi, nice seein' ya here." Metal Bat waved a hand at Saitama, to which the bald hero could only nod. Saitama wasn't really sure if he knows this man. On the other hand, Tatsumaki was surprised to come across another S-class hero. Is Saitama friends with him as well?

"Ah, you too. Sorry but do I know you…?" Saitama mumbled awkwardly. Both Tatsumaki and Metal Bat found themselves shocked and partially disappointed. "You look familiar though." he added

"Ya were at S-class's meeting right?" Metal Bat muttered, feeling slightly taken aback.

"Ah, yeah. I remember now." the bald hero said, but he still wasn't entirely sure who he was.

"Strolling with your little sister too?" the delinquent hero said as he glanced at Saitama's "sister".

"What the fu- who are you calling little, you smug-faced moron!" Tatsumaki angrily exclaimed as he looked up at Metal Bat. She glowed green, as if ready to shoot the other hero in to outer space. Metal Bat was about to rebut the esper's insult when he recognized her curly green hair. Extremely surprised, he could only scratch the back of his head while Saitama almost laughed at the scene. Good thing he managed to suppress it.

"Oh shit, my bad. Didn't realize it was ya." he said. Tatsumaki decided to be calm about it as she crossed her arms with a huff.

"O-onii-chan… it's Senritsu no Tatsumaki!" Zenko beamed at his big brother.

"…what about it?" the young hero asked his little sister.

"It's a bit rare to see girls as heroes, so I definitely look up to her! Are you friends with her?" the small girl's eyes twinkled as she stared up at Metal Bat. Feeling his heart getting stabbed with his little sister's cuteness, he stared at the esper. With pleading eyes, it was as if he was begging her to go along with him. Somehow, Tatsumaki found this surprising. So even this brash and loud hero has a soft spot, she thought. And since she can read minds, she decided to go with it.

"Y-yeah… we're friends." she muttered, making Metal Bat sigh in relief and give her a look of gratitude. Saitama glanced at her, still suppressing a chuckle. Zenko clasped her hands together and walked towards Tatsumaki, looking up at her.

"You're really amazing! You take down strong monsters! And you're the only girl in the S-class, right? You're at the top ranks as well! I really admire you, Tatsumaki-nee!" the little girl cheerfully said as Tatsumaki blinked. Somehow, she remembered Fubuki.

"…thanks." she could only mutter as she patted Zenko's head softly. The little girl, on the other hand, turned her head at her big brother, smiling brightly. Again, Metal Bat's heart was stabbed as he grinned back. Somehow, Tatsumaki was surprised that Metal Bat was capable of grinning.

"Come on, Zenko. We shouldn't be interrupting them, ya know. It ain't nice of us," Metal Bat said as Zenko ran back to him, holding his hand. The little girl waved goodbye at the two heroes. "I'll see you two, I guess." Metal Bat muttered.

And with that, the siblings continued their walk.

Saitama and Tatsumaki stared at the two, both mentally asking themselves what Metal Bat meant when he said "they shouldn't interrupt" them. It's as if like they were on a date.

" _Even that dude thinks we're a thing,"_ Saitama thought. _"I guess I can't blame him."_

" _What the hell did that delinquent mean?"_ Tatsumaki thought.

"You know, it's pretty nice of you to help him out like that." the bald hero said with a smile as he looked at the green-haired esper. Tatsumaki scoffed as they continued walking.

"It can't be helped. It's for his little sister anyway." she muttered.

After a few more minutes of walking around the city, they heard a loud scream not far from them. In an instant, this caught their attention.

" _It's about time for those weirdos to pop out."_ Tatsumaki thought as she glanced around the area, looking for something unusual.

"I guess it's never peaceful here, huh?" Saitama said as he turned to where the sound came from. A few more screams were heard from where they were. The two then ran to the source of the scene. They reached a park, as a handful of civilians were already running away. From a distance, four figures emerged. As the two walked towards it to get a better view of what they were dealing with, they saw four humanoid beings with the head of some sort of wild dog. One of them was pinning down a high schooler, sniffing the girl's hair and neck. As one of them noticed the heroes' presence, it pointed at Tatsumaki.

"Ey ey, look bro, this one looks feisty." the blue-colored one said, with his tongue out, dripping with saliva. This made Tatsumaki shiver in disgust.

"Yeah yeah yeah, she looks so adorable. I bet she taste's good." the grey-colored one replied. Rolling her eyes, the esper scoffed and stared up at Saitama.

"Please let me crush them to pieces." she muttered, to which the bald hero could only nod.

"If you don't overwork yourself, I guess it's fine," he replied. "We gotta save the girl first though."

Tatsumaki teleported herself to where the girl was pinned down, as she shoved the monster away using her psychokinesis. It slammed on the trunk of a tree. In an instant, Saitama carried the girl away and put her down a bench meters away from the monsters. Tatsumaki focused on three of the remaining monsters, restraining their motor movements. She smirked, as she levitated them, thinking on what to do when she felt something grab her waist from behind. When she looked back, she saw the fourth monster whom she shoved away.

"Crap-"

Losing concentration on the three monsters, the other one brashly slammed her down the ground. She managed to soften the blow as she created a protective barrier around her, though the monster was still strong enough to create a crater on the ground. The three other monsters then surrounded her, as the fourth one leaned down on her, sniffing her slowly.

"Damn, this one's pretty strong. Her energy's really big." it muttered. With a scoff she debated with herself whether or not she'll use 100% of her powers. Technically still on a break, she was a bit hesitant to use it all on these pathetic monsters.

"Screw it." She muttered as she removed her barrier and readied herself to launch a powerful amount of power. Before she could do so, Saitama landed out of nowhere and punched all four of the creatures in a second. Tatsumaki could only blink.

"You okay there, Tats?" Saitama asked as he lent a hand. Tatsumaki grabbed it as she lifted herself up and patted dust off her dress. She also picked up her hat from the ground and wearing it on again.

"I could've taken them all out, you know." she said as she scowled at the young hero.

"Yeah I know," the hero replied. "I guess the world never runs out of monsters."

"If they were gone, we won't have much use."

"I guess you're right."

As the two of them were about to leave the park, they heard fast footsteps from behind and a familiar voice.

"Alright, where is that doggone monster?! I had to take Zenko to a safe place before-" Metal Bat then realized that the monsters' carcasses were scattered around the park. His grip on the bat tightened as he felt veins popping on his head. "-dammit."

* * *

After a few more hours of walking, and finding a sale in the process, the two heroes decided to call it a day. Though it was a bit hard to admit, walking around the city is kind of fun, Tatsumaki thought. She usually doesn't go out during her day offs; she would just stay in her apartment and rest. But ever since her break, she got to go to places she never imagined she'd go in to. And it's all thanks to the hero beside her.

"Ah, that's right. I promised to take you to a ride in a Ferris wheel. There's an amusement park just a few blocks away from here. Want to check it out?" Saitama said out of nowhere. Tatsumaki was taken by surprise as she glanced up at him.

"I mean it's about to get dark. The city's view from up high is pretty nice."

"…sure." the small esper nodded. A promise _is_ a promise.

They walked for a few more minutes before reaching the said park. As they entered, there were fewer civilians inside and most of them were teenagers and young adults. Fortunately for them, the line for the Ferris wheel wasn't that long. The two heroes then got in the cabin.

"This is really slow-paced, huh?" Tatsumaki said as she sat down. Saitama sat across her.

"That's its purpose. It's not meant to be thrilling," the hero replied. "You're supposed to enjoy and relax. I mean, you do know that that means, right?"

Tatsumaki scowled at Saitama, as the other hero only muttered a "I'm just kidding lol"

Finally feeling at ease, Tatsumaki settled in seat as their cabin was slowly reaching the top. She peered out of the window and took in the beauty of the scenery in front of her. The sun has just set, and the city lights were brightly shining around them. It was a very long time since she last felt this calm. And with a companion as well. She glanced at Saitama, who was also looking at the scenery. She let out a huff as she crossed her arms and stared back at the city.

"…thanks for being my friend." she suddenly said. Since Saitama was in daze, he wasn't sure if he imagined what he heard.

"Ah, thanks too I guess."

"And I apologize for not treating you fairly before." the esper added. The bald hero was caught in surprise this time. He was just used to her brash attitude that he never imagined she could actually be apologetic. Tatsumaki then placed her gaze at Saitama, staring at him intently.

"I acknowledge your strength. But that does not mean you can surpass me. Don't think too highly of yourself!" she added as she pointed a finger at him.

" _There she is."_ Saitama thought as he smile slightly.

"Whatever you say." the hero replied.

"You sound like you don't believe me! Stop acting all smug!"

"I'm not."

"Yes you are! That's it! I challenge you to a battle! I haven't shown you the extent of my powers yet, it doesn't even match up to yours, you stupid baldy!"

" _And she ruined the atmosphere."_ Saitama thought as he felt a vein pop on his forehead. She's getting better as a person, but Tatsumaki is still Tatsumaki.

"Can we just enjoy our ride in peace?" the young hero muttered as he leaned back with a sigh. Huffing angrily at him, the esper gradually calmed down.

"Alright. But I'm still going to show you your place." she muttered.

"Fine, fine. Just tell me the date and I'll be there." he responded.

After a few more minutes of silence, their cabin reached the base below. The door automatically opened as the two heroes went out and decided to really call it a day now. Since tomorrow Tatsumaki will resume her duties as a hero, she wanted to get up as early as possible. Saitama had nothing on his schedule for the next day, but he plans on buying some manga and video games. He felt that it was a long time since he bought an issue of his favorite series.

As the heroes walked in silence, Saitama glanced down at Tatsumaki and noticed that she wasn't as wary as she was when they first met. She seemed comfortable with his presence and her verbal insults toned down, too. He then looked back at the streets, mentally noting that being friends with the esper wasn't a bad idea after all. He smiled wryly and patted her head, only to receive a verbal insult from the esper.

Though deep inside, Tatsumaki doesn't mind it at all.

* * *

 **I also apologize for another short chapter ; A ;**

 **I'm planning to end the story in the next chapter, since it would get pretty dragging if I went on with the story. Tatsumaki's walls are slowly breaking down and becoming friends with Saitama along the way. That's entire point of this story, and making it longer would only seem ridiculous. I know some of you guys want me to keep the story longer, but it would just be redundant I guess? When the inspiration hits, I promise to write one or two shots of the two :)**

 **See you all in the next chapter!**


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